Robert attended the Inns of Court School of Law, where he was a prize winner for Advocacy and was Called to the Bar at Inner Temple in October 1991. In 2009 he was appointed as a Recorder of the Crown Court, sitting on the Midland Circuit.

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Sir Robert went to Hatfield College, Durham, where he became Secretary of the Junior Common Room and President of the Union Society (Michaelmas 1989), graduation in Law in 1990. Robert attended the Inns of Court School of Law, where he was a prize winner for Advocacy and was Called to the Bar at Inner Temple in October 1991. In 2009 he was appointed as a Recorder of the Crown Court, sitting on the Midland Circuit.

 

Sir Robert was selected as the Conservative Candidate for South Swindon in July 2004.  He was a Governor of The Ridgeway School, Wroughton from 2005 to 2009 and is the co-ordinator of the Swindon Special Educational Needs Network, which he started in 2006. At the 2005 General Election, he cut the Labour majority from over 7000 to just 1353, with one of the largest swings in the country, and was unanimously re-selected in January 2006. At the 2010 General Election, Sir Robert secured a majority of over 3500, overturning Labour's majority with a swing of 5.5%.

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Since his election to Parliament, Sir Robert has established himself as an extremely active contributor to questions and debates, and was elected to the Justice Select Committee in 2010, serving until 2013.  He has sat on the Joint Committee on Human Rights, the Commons Standards Committee and the Commons Privileges Committee. His main interests are justice, home affairs, international affairs, growth and development, education and disability issues.  He Chaired the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism, the All Party Group on the EU and is involved in groups on speech, language and communication disability and Gurkha Welfare to name but a few.

 

In 2011, Sir Robert was appointed to be Chairman of the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, which helps to develop party policy on international human rights issues, holding speaker meetings, evidence sessions and producing reports to Government. 

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In October 2012, Sir Robert won election as Joint Secretary of the Conservative Party's 1922 Committee of Backbenchers. And in January 2013 won the Grassroots Diplomat Policy Driver Award for his campaigning work on Special Educational Needs both locally and nationally.

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He served as Solicitor General for England and Wales, from 2014 to 2019, until he became Minister of State for Prisons. He was appointed Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor  in July 2019, serving until the cabinet reshuffle in September 2021.  In the 2022 Political Honours he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE).

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He served as Solicitor General for England and Wales, from 2014 to 2019, until he became Minister of State for Prisons. He was appointed Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor  in July 2019, serving until the cabinet reshuffle in September 2021.  In the 2022 Political Honours he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE).

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