Dr Natalie Byrom is leaving the Legal Education Foundation after eight years as Director of Research and Learning. Her work has focused on bringing about an enduring commitment to learning and the use of evidence in the design and operation of the justice system. As part of this, Natalie led the creation, development and public launch of Justice Lab UK a major new research and policy initiative that uses data and evidence to tackle the most pressing problems facing the justice system. She set the strategy, shaped its programmes and secured ongoing funding for data and research across the justice system.

The Foundation is immensely grateful to Natalie for the expertise, leadership and commitment she has brought to this work, she has delivered an ambitious work programme and significantly advanced the objectives of Justice Lab and the Legal Education Foundation. She has built networks and reputation across the justice system and delivered substantial policy impact.

Natalie will continue to serve on a range of government and judicial panels relating to her expertise on data and justice issues, including The Civil Justice Council and the Senior Data Governance Panel and we wish her well with the next steps in her work.

Dr Natalie Byrom said:

It has been a difficult decision to leave The Legal Education Foundation (TLEF) after eight years. Over that time, I have been able to focus on advancing the cause of good data and evidence in the design and operation of the justice system, and I am grateful to all those inside and outside the organisation who have helped and supported me along the way.

I am particularly proud of my work to support HM Courts & Tribunals Service develop a data strategy in 2019 in support of its reform programme which led to the creation of a new publicly available online repository of court judgements at the National Archives. I am also pleased that the Senior Data Governance Panel within the MoJ has now been formalised and I am proud to have led the Justice Lab initiative to its public launch in February 2023.

This work is, however, far from complete and there is much more that needs to be done. I will continue to sit on a number of bodies relating to justice and data and am very much looking forward to this next chapter in my work.