The Nationality and Borders Bill: charting a difficult course - Free Webinar

Join the Garden Court Public Law and Immigration Teams for a timely discussion on the Nationality and Borders Bill, as it progresses through Parliament.

The Bill, now at committee stage, proposes significant changes to all areas of nationality, asylum and immigration law. This webinar will examine the Bill in its current form and highlight key issues of legality thrown up by the proposals. We will be discussing proposed changes to deprivation of nationality, human trafficking and modern slavery, and asylum.

This webinar is for those in public and immigration law sectors, as well as those in the NGO and charity sector.

This event will be followed by an in-depth conference closer to the Bill’s passage into law, which will provide expert, technical and strategic updates on any changes, and will be particularly useful for public and immigration law solicitors.
 

Speakers

Stephanie Harrison QC, Joint Head of Chambers, Garden Court Chambers (Chair)
Described as a "brilliant advocate", Stephanie is a leading public law practitioner who has appeared at all court levels. Her multi-disciplinary practice spans the breadth of public law and civil liberties. Stephanie's cases include those arising from unlawful detention, national security, official misconduct, abuse of power, child sexual exploitation, equality and discrimination, minority rights, education law and civil rights protest and injunctions.

Stephanie is regularly involved in test case litigation and has been instrumental in winning some of the most important cases within her areas of specialism in recent times. Much of her work is high profile and receives media coverage. She is passionate about upholding and advancing the rights of vulnerable, minority groups and children. Stephanie was appointed as legal counsel to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in 2015 and is head of the Garden Court Public Law team. Stephanie is ranked for Administrative and Public Law, Civil Liberties and Human Rights and Immigration in both the Legal 500 and Chambers UK Bar Guide. Stephanie was shortlisted for Civil Liberties & Human Rights Silk of the Year at Legal 500 UK Awards 2020 and for Human Rights and Public Law Silk of the Year at the Chambers Bar Awards 2019.

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 practises in Courts and Tribunals at all levels from the First-tier Tribunal and County Court to the Senior Courts and the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). He writes a blog on migration, citizenship, and free movement called Cosmopolis. He also has a blog on Nationality and Citizenship law.

Adrian has an extensive practice in British nationality law, both (1) in historic Commonwealth-based claims and (2) in contemporary issues concerning the automatic acquisition of citizenship, naturalisation and registration, as well as deprivation and loss of British nationality. Adrian acts for individuals, communities, and NGOs and international organisations. He also acts as a consultant to NGOs and international organisations, to assist with strategic litigation, analyses and reports of immigration and nationality law and practice, and actions plans for reform. He is widely known, not just for his casework, but also for his policy work and contribution to debates on immigration and nationality law.

Emma Fitzsimons, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Emma Fitzsimons is an immigration and public law barrister, practising in immigration and asylum, unlawful detention, trafficking, age assessments and community care. Emma regularly appears on behalf of unaccompanied minors, trafficking victims and vulnerable adults in the First-tier Tribunal, Upper Tribunal and Administrative Court. She also has experience of fresh claim and certification judicial review challenges, as well as urgent removal cases. She has experience acting for age disputed asylum-seeking children and has acted in judicial review proceedings seeking appropriate bail accommodation for vulnerable detainees.

Emma, together with Henry Blaxland QC and Stephen Clark of Garden Court Chambers, acted in the case VCL v UK, representing VCL in his application to the European Court of Human Rights. She appears pro bono in bail applications on behalf of Bail for Immigration Detainees. She is a contributing author to the leading immigration practitioner text, Macdonald's Immigration Law and Practice. She is also a contributing author to Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery Law and Practice (2nd edition). 

Ubah Dirie, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Ubah Dirie is recognised as a tenacious and client-focused advocate who specialises in advice, representation and advocacy in all areas of immigration, asylum, nationality, EU free movement, deportation and detention. She is frequently instructed to represent vulnerable individuals including victims of trafficking, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and those with complex mental health issues or without capacity. Ubah also has a particular interest in immigration matters involving EEA nationals and their family members. She has gained extensive experience in representing third-country nationals in retained rights appeals and sham marriage cases. 

Ubah has developed a reputation as a practitioner who has the ability to explain complex points of law in a simple and straightforward way. Ubah is fluent in Somali and has a particular interest in providing advice and representation in Somali cases. She is regularly instructed in complex asylum appeals, notably soon after the completion of her pupillage, she was instructed as junior counsel in the Country Guidance case OO Algeria (CG) [2016] UT UKUT 65.