This webinar was brought to you by the Garden Court Chambers Public Law and Immigration Teams.
| Date: | Monday 20 March 2023 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 5.30pm - 6.30pm |
| Cost: | Free |
| Areas of Law: | Administrative and Public Law , Immigration Law , Immigration Detention, Asylum and Deportation |
Garden Court Chambers held an online seminar on the new Illegal Migration Bill which is being rushed through Parliament and its serious implications for asylum-seekers. This was the first of a three-part webinar series about the Illegal Migration Bill.
This webinar provided an overview of key provisions of the Bill that:
- Tear-up Human Rights Convention protection for people arriving in the UK
- Divert asylum claims away from the UK and breach the Refugee Convention
- Expose the empty promise of 'safe & legal routes'
- Oust the jurisdiction of the Courts to review decisions and detention
- Exclude both children and adults from access to British nationality
- Hand the Secretary of State excessive powers to create laws by statutory instrument which breach principles of administrative law
- Discuss strategies for challenges in Parliament and beyond
The aim was to provide attendees with an understanding of the Bill and equip them with what they need to know now.
This webinar was aimed at busy legal practitioners and others in the field who work with asylum seekers.
See details for Part Two here, and Part Three here.
Speaker Panel
Stephanie Harrison KC, Joint Head of Garden Court Chambers (Chair)
Stephanie is a leading practitioner in the field of public law and immigration & asylum law, with over 30 years of experience in complex cases.
She frequently appears in the highest courts in landmark cases concerning the interpretation and application of the Refugee Convention and other related international human rights.
She specialises in claims of torture, human trafficking and other forms of serious violence including sex and gender-based violence. She represented the Appellant in AM( Afghanistan) [2017] EWCA Civ 113 as well as the Helen Bamber Foundation, Freedom from Torture and Medical Justice as intervenors in KV (Sri-Lanka) [2019] UKSC 10 and the AIRE Centre in MN and IXU [2020] EWCA 1746, all leading cases on the role of medical evidence in claims for international protection.
She has been involved in many of the most significant judicial review challenges to the lawfulness of detention policy and practice relating to vulnerable adults and children. She was lead counsel for a number of Core Participants and Medical Justice in the ongoing Statutory Inquiry into Article 3 mistreatment in Brook House IRC. She is an editor of Macdonald's Immigration Law and Practice (1Oth Edition), the leading textbook in the field.
Irena Sabic, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Irena is an experienced and highly regarded public law practitioner who has appeared at all court levels. Her multi-disciplinary practice means she is able to conduct test case litigation. She has a particular focus on cases concerning unlawful detention, abuse of power, equality and discrimination and treatment of vulnerable children and adults subject to immigration control.
Irena has a busy immigration practice and she often finds her expertise in immigration proves invaluable in housing and community care cases. Irena provides advice and representation in the full range of appeals before the FTT and UT, the Administrative Court and the Court for Appeal.
Adrian Berry, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Adrian’s practice spans a range of inter-related public law areas concerning citizenship, immigration, human rights, international protection, and social assistance. Adrian acts for a small number of clients with complex and sensitive asylum and international protection claims.
He provides advice and representation in matters arising under the 1951 Refugee Convention, the Refugee Qualification Directive (2004/83/EC) and the European Convention on Human Rights. He also acts for a small number of clients with general asylum claims, including clients with multiple nationalities, statelessness issues, difficult issues in relation to a nexus to a Refugee Convention reason, and those subject to removal under the Dublin Regulation. He writes on Refugee law issues.
Nadia O'Mara, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Nadia joined Garden Court as a tenant following successful completion of pupillage in October 2022. Nadia is building a busy judicial review practice which cuts across her multi-disciplinary practice. She has experience in judicial review in the areas of immigration law, community care, age assessments and education law.
She has experience in asylum and human rights appeals, family reunions, deportation and EUSS claims. Nadia has a particular interest in issues arising in the context of immigration detention. Nadia takes a holistic approach to her practice and is adept at providing advice on potential public law challenges arising out of or alongside her caseload.
