John Bowers

John Bowers (born 2 January 1956) is a British barrister and part-time judge who has been Principal of Brasenose College, Oxford since 1 October 2015.

Born in Grimsby, the son of Alfred Bowers and Irene , he was educated at Clee Grammar School in Cleethorpes, and then went up to Lincoln College, Oxford, where he read jurisprudence. He was called to the Bar in 1979, took silk (became a Queen's Counsel) in 1998, became a recorder in 2003, and has been a deputy High Court Judge since 2010.

Personal life Bowers is a supporter of Grimsby Town F.C. He is married to Suzanne Franks and has three children.

In February 2026, Recorder John Bowers KC reported to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO) that he had been disqualified from driving for six months after accumulating 12 penalty points from four separate driving offences. Bowers expressed his regret over the offences and said that he was “profoundly sorry” for being disqualified, acknowledging that, as a judge, he should have exercised greater care.

Publications Bowers has written, alone or with others, 14 books on law including

Writing in The Law Society Gazette Graham Clayton described The Law of Industrial Action and Trade Union Recognition as "a work of authority and clarity". Writing in the Industrial Law Journal David Lewis described the first edition of Whistleblowing as "a comprehensive and insightful analysis".

He has also written Downward Spiral: Collapsing Public Standards and How to Restore Them, which was published in 2024.