New Faces Join Deaths in Custody Panel
The Lord Chancellor has greenlit two key appointments to the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody (IAPDC). Pauline McCabe and Dr Jake Hard will serve three-year terms starting from 1 July 2023.
What is the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody?
Formed in 2009, the IAPDC plays a critical role within the Ministerial Council on Deaths in Custody covering England and Wales. Its mission? To offer expert advice and challenge to ministers, departments, and agencies with one goal — to prevent deaths in custody.
The appointments are made by the Secretary of State for Justice, in close consultation with the Department of Health and Social Care and the Home Office, the panel’s co-sponsors and funders. The recruitment strictly follows the Governance Code on Public Appointments, regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
Meet the New Members
Dr Jake Hard
Dr Hard is a seasoned GP with more than 16 years working inside prison walls. He currently serves as Clinical Director at HMP cardiff/" title="Cardiff" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Cardiff. He chaired the Royal College of General Practitioners’ Secure Environments Group from 2016 to 2022 and has previously published work alongside the IAPDC. He also leads the NHSE Health & Justice Information Service, bringing vital frontline experience to the panel.
Pauline McCabe OBE
Pauline McCabe is a heavyweight international criminal justice advisor. She has managed projects on policing, prison reform, oversight, and death in custody investigations for heavyweight organisations like UNICEF, Penal Reform International, DFID, and OSCE ODIHR across Europe and Central Asia. From 2008 to 2013, she was Prisoner Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, conducting investigations into deaths, complaints, and serious incidents. An academic at heart, Ms McCabe is a visiting professor at the University of Ulster and earned an OBE for her services to prisoner welfare.
