The government’s new independent reviewer of terrorism legislation has revealed he volunteers for security duty at his wife’s synagogue, saying the experience has given him a “different perspective”.

Jonathan Hall QC was announced on Monday by Home Secretary Sajid Javid as the replacement for Max Hill QC, who has left to become director of public prosecutions.

The role is filled by an expert whose duties include writing an annual report on the use of terrorism laws. Mr Javid said Mr Hall would provide “robust oversight to ensure our counter-terrorism laws are fair, necessary and proportionate.”

Speaking to the Times, Mr Hall said that he sometimes volunteers to be part of his family’s synagogue security team on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings.

“It brings home the issues when you realise that you can’t even have a synagogue in London without a security team,” he told the paper.

Mr Hall, one of the country’s leading barristers, is not Jewish himself, but his wife is, and their three children are being raised as Jewish.

According to figures from the CST, last year saw a record number of antisemitic attacks, with 1,652 incidents of Jew hate, a 16 per cent increase on the year before.

Of thise incidents, 66 involved someone targetting synagogues, while others targeted Jewish schools, businesses and individuals.