Select committees are cross-party groups of backbench MPs that examine government departments, relevant public bodies and specific topics. To become a member of a department committee, an MP is usually elected by other backbench members of his or her party.
The Justice Select Committee scrutinises the policies, administration and spending of the Ministry of Justice and ensures justice services including courts, prisons and probation are being delivered properly. Like other select committees, the Justice Committee chooses its own lines of inquiry, which normally result in a report after careful consideration of oral and written evidence from experts, civil servants and ministers. These have included reports on the Coroner Service, the impact of Covid-19 on the criminal justice system and the future of the Probation Service.
Utilising experience he gained prior to his election as a non-executive director of HM Prison and Probation Service, a magistrate, and a member of the Sentencing Council, Rob has been a member of the Justice Select Committee since March 2020.
It is important to note that the Justice Select Committee is unable to consider individual cases.
For regular updates, you can follow the Justice Select Committee here.