About

Dr Natalie Byrom is a researcher and policy adviser with expertise in justice system reform, data-driven technologies and data governance. She has a track record of leading high quality research and translating this into meaningful policy impact. Between 2018 and 2020 Dr Byrom was seconded to the UK Ministry of Justice as expert adviser on data in the context of an ongoing £1bn programme of digital court reform. The recommendations arising from her secondment are currently being implemented by government. Her report led to the creation of new mechanisms for monitoring the impact of digitisation on access to justice and reforms to justice data governance. Dr Byrom’s research for HMCTS on models of data governance led to the creation of a new Senior Data Governance Panel, to advise the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice on novel issues arising sharing and use of justice data. Her report also resulted in the historically unprecedented decision to create a state-funded and administered repository of court judgments, widening public access to the judgments and decisions of the courts in England and Wales and creating new opportunities for research and innovation.

Dr Byrom has given evidence to a number of parliamentary committees including the Justice Select Committee (open justice and court capacity) and the House of Lords Constitution Committee on issues relating to justice system reform, data collection, sharing and governance. Her writing on these issues has been published in the legal and national press and her speaking engagements reflect her status as a thought leader on these topics. She is part of the BBC Expert Women Network and currently holds a number of public appointments, membership of the Ministry of Justice’s Senior Data Governance Panel, and the Civil Justice Council, where she was appointed in 2022 as member for information architecture and econometrics. Read more