Baroness Usha Prashar
Doctor of the University (HonDUniv)
Year conferred: 2000
Baroness Prashar has been Chairman of the Judicial Appointments Commission since October 2005.
From 2000 to 2005 she was the First Civil Service Commissioner. Previously she was Chairman of the Parole Board for England and Wales, Director of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Director of the Runnymede Trust.
Currently she is President of the Royal Commonwealth Society, Governor of Ashridge College, Governor of Ditchley Foundation, Trustee of Cumberland Lodge, non-executive director of the Cabinet Office, and non-executive director of ITV.
She is also President of UK Council for International Student Affairs, Honorary President of the Community Foundation Network and Patron of the Runnymede Trust.
Her past activities have included: Board member and Chancellor of De Montfort University, Chairman of the National Literacy Trust, and Governor of Salzburg Seminar.
She has also served as a member of the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice, the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct, the Arts Council and as a non-executive director of Channel 4.
Baroness Prashar was born in Kenya. She attended Universities of Leeds and Glasgow.
She was awarded a CBE in 1994 and given a peerage in 1999. She sits in the House of Lords as a Crossbencher.
