Reappointment of His Honour Peter Rook KC as vice chair and member of the Parole Board

HH Peter Rook KC has been reappointed for 1 year from 1 February 2025 until 31 January 2026.

The Parole Board is an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ). It works with its criminal justice partners to protect the public by risk assessing prisoners to decide whether they can be safely released into the community. It was established by the Criminal Justice Act 1967.

The Lord Chancellor has reappointed His Honour Peter Rook KC as a judicial member of the Parole Board. In addition, the Chair of the Parole Board, Caroline Corby, has designated His Honour Peter Rook KC as the board's vice chair. The vice chair will be expected to share in the leadership and governance of the Parole Board.

Appointments and reappointments to the Parole Board (with the exception of judicial members) are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Biography

HH Peter Rook KC was called to the Bar in 1973 and appointed Queen's Counsel in 1991. In June 2005, he was appointed a senior circuit judge to sit at the Old Bailey retiring in 2017. He also sat as a judge in the Court of Appeal. He sat as a coroner between 2017 and 2019. He sat as a judge sitting in retirement until September 2024.

HH Peter Rook KC was Chair of the Criminal Bar Association from 2002 until 2003. He was head of chambers, at 18 Red Lion Chambers, from 2002 until 2005. He is the co-author of a leading textbook now in its sixth edition “Sexual Offences: Law and Practice” – seventh edition to be published in 2025.