Professor Seena Fazel reappointed to IAPDC

Professor Seena Fazel, Senior Associate at Pembroke and Professor of Forensic Psychiatry at the University of Oxford, has been reappointed by the Deputy Prime Minister to the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody (IAPDC). 

Established in 2009, the IAPDC aims to prevent deaths in detention by providing expert advice and challenge to Ministers, departments, and agencies. Professor Fazel is a serving member of the IAPDC, having begun his first term in 2018. 

Speaking about his appointment, Professor Fazel said: “I am delighted to continue serving on the IAPDC. Preventing deaths in custody requires careful scrutiny, rigorous use of high-quality evidence, robust analysis, and a clear understanding of risk and prevention. I look forward to contributing to the Panel’s work through independent, evidence-based advice informed by the latest research and data.”

Professor Fazel is Director of the Centre for Suicide Research at the University of Oxford and is an honorary consultant forensic psychiatrist for Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. His research looks at suicidal behaviour in prisoners, the mental health of prisoners, and risk assessment in criminal justice and mental health.