Baroness Prashar is a member of the Iraq Inquiry, President of the National Literacy Trust and Honorary President of Community Foundation Network.   Baroness Prashar was appointed inaugural Chairman of the Judicial Appointments Commission in October 2005 – a post she held until September 2010. She is also a Governor of the Ditchley Foundation, a Trustee of Cumberland Lodge and President of the Royal Commonwealth Society, having previously served as the Society’s chairman.

From 2000 to 2005 she was the First Civil Service Commissioner.  Before that she was Chairman of the Parole Board for England and Wales (1997-2000), Director of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (1986-1991) and Director of the Runnymede Trust (1976-84).  She was also a member of the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice (1991-93) and was a member of the Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct (1992-97).

A Crossbencher in the House of Lords, she is Chair of the Sub-Committee on Lords’ Interests, a member of the Privileges Committee and a member of the Joint Committee on Human Rights.

She was educated at the independent Wakefield Girls' High School. She read politics at the University of Leeds and undertook postgraduate studies in social administration at the University of Glasgow.