Masters of the Bench

Nick Hardwick graduated with an English degree from the University of Hull in 1979. The first half of his career was in the voluntary sector, first working with young offenders for the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders, then leading the youth homelessness charity Centrepoint before moving to run the British Refugee Council.

In 2003 he was appointed to establish and run the Independent Police Complaints Commission as its first Executive Chair. He moved from police to prisons in 2010 when he was appointed as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons.

Since his term as Chief Inspector ended in 2016, he has combined roles as Professor of Criminal Justice at Royal Holloway, University of London with chairing the Parole Board for England and Wales and some consultancy projects. Nick is married to Sue and has two children.