Free Event - Brook House Inquiry

The Brook House Inquiry (BHI) published its report on its investigation into allegations that people held in immigration detention were subjected to torture, inhuman and degrading treatment following undercover footage as broadcasted by the BBC in 2017. 

The Inquiry has exposed the inexcusable and unconscionable dehumanising abuse of vulnerable people held in immigration detention by the Home Office. The Inquiry has found the safeguarding system in detention to be “dysfunctional”, resulting in a failure to protect detained people as intended. The Inquiry chair made 33 recommendations for ‘necessary’ changes at Brook House and immigration detention more widely, the vast majority of which are directed to the Home Office or the government more generally. 

The speaker panel features legal counsel instructed in the BHI explored issues raised by the report including: judicial review, approaches to fact-finding, the use of force, detention, clinical safeguards, and the report's recommendations and next steps. 

Agenda:

• Keynote - Stephanie Harrison KC, Garden Court Chambers
• Inquiries and Article 3 of the ECHR - Una Morris, Garden Court Chambers
• The use of force - Kirsten Heaven, Garden Court Chambers
• Detention and clinical safeguards - Gordon Lee, Garden Court Chambers
• Institutional culture and racism - Alex Schymyck, Garden Court Chambers
• Recommendations and next steps 

Counsel instructed in the Inquiry were:

Stephanie Harrison KC, Gordon Lee, Una Morris, Alex Schymyck and Louise Hooper of the Garden Court Inquiries Team, with Alex Goodman of Landmark Chambers and Zainul Jafferji of Clarendon Park Chambers, instructed by Lewis Kett, Toufique Hossain, Nick Hughes, Sophie Lucas, Jamie Bell of Duncan Lewis Solicitors, and Lottie Hume and Charlotte McLean, formerly of Duncan Lewis Solicitors.

Stephanie Harrison KC and Kirsten Heaven of Garden Court Chambers acted for individuals and Medical Justice, with Shu Shin Luh and Laura Profumo of Doughty Street, instructed by Bhatt Murphy Solicitors.