Nicholas Hughes

I am a Solicitor in the Public Law and Immigration department at Duncan Lewis, having joined in September 2015, and qualifying as a solicitor in 2023.

I have extensive experience in Judicial Review matters and asylum claims and appeals at all levels. I also have key experience in Public Inquiries, having worked on the Brook House Public Inquiry. This Inquiry is the first of its kind in the UK, following from a lengthy Judicial Review to investigate abuses exposed as part of a BBC Panorama documentary. I represented several individuals who are Core Participants and Witnesses to the Brook House Inquiry. Having jointly built the case which led to this Inquiry, I worked closely with Counsel, Solicitors to the Inquiry and our clients to ensure that justice is brought following the extensive abuse which took place at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre.

I have particular expertise in bringing judicial reviews in challenges to both the lawfulness and conditions of immigration detention. I am experienced in a wide variety of Judicial Review claimant and asylum matters and I have several years of experience in challenging removals from the UK to European countries under the Dublin III Regulation, challenges to decisions of the Secretary of State for the Home Department to unlawfully detain and remove clients, cases involving victims of political persecution and torture, challenging the unlawful detention of LGBTI persons, abuse within detention centres and statelessness cases.

I have represented clients from all backgrounds, from privately funded clients to vulnerable victims of trafficking, and often have had to handle cases at the last minute to tight deadlines such as is the case with deportation/removal matters. I have conducted a varied caseload with cases being heard before the Upper Tribunal, Special Immigration Appeals Commission, the High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights.

• LLB (Honours) Law with American Law – University of Nottingham
• E.MA in Human Rights and Democratisation – European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation

• Solicitor at Duncan Lewis Solicitors 2024 - present
• Caseworker at Duncan Lewis Solicitors 2021 - 2024
• Trainee Solicitor at Duncan Lewis Solicitors 2018 - 2020
• Caseworker at Duncan Lewis Solicitors 2015 - 2018
• Proof-reader – Review of East and Central European Law - 2015
• Caseworker – SGI Legal LLP – 2014
• Research Assistant – Human Rights Clinic, The University of Texas at Austin – 2011

Supreme Court

• AAA & Ors v SSHD [2023] UKSC – Supreme Court decision which held that the Home Office’s policy of removing asylum seekers to Rwanda was unlawful.

Court of Appeal

• AAA & Ors v SSHD [2023] EWCA Civ – Lead case challenging the Home Office’s policy of removing asylum seekers to Rwanda.
• ZA v SSHD (2018/0360) - Lead case concerning the unlawful detention of LGBTI asylum seekers.

High Court

• AAA + Ors v SSHD [2022] EWHC 3230 – Lead case challenging the Home Office’s policy of removing asylum seekers to Rwanda.
• MA & BB v SSHD (CO/2710/2017; CO/382/2018) - successful challenge against Home Secretary’s failure to institute an effective Article 3 ECHR-compliant investigation into abuse of detainees at Brook House IRC. The Court found that the Home Secretary’s proposed investigation by the PPO was not Article 3-compliant due to a lack of power to compel witnesses, lack of public hearings and for not guaranteeing sufficient legal representation for the victims. The case has led to the Home Secretary establishing a formal Public Inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 into the abuse
• Abdulkadir & Anwar v SSHD (CO/4711/2015; CO/5115/2015) – Lead case concerning Dublin III returns to Austria.


• ZA v SSHD (CO/1003/2016) - Lead case concerning the unlawful detention of LGBTI asylum seekers.

Civil Court

• NSK v the United Kingdom (28774/22) – Assisted in preparing the Rule 39 application that resulted in the first urgent interim measure preventing an asylum seeker’s removal to Rwanda under the Home Office’s Rwanda policy on 14 June 2022.
• Brook House Public Inquiry - Acting as the Lead Caseworker for the Duncan Lewis cohort of clients for the Brook House Public Inquiry. The Public Inquiry investigated mistreatment and abuse of detained persons at Brook House in 2017, following undercover reporting by BBC Panorama. I represented 12 formerly detained persons who had experienced or witnessed abuse, and a former G4S manager-turned-whistleblower. The Inquiry’s final report was published September 2023.

• Level 2 Senior Caseworker – Law Society Immigration & Asylum Scheme
• Amnesty International
• ILPA

• American Football
• Basketball
• Playing music
• I occasionally record voiceovers for radio stations around Europe.

• Bahar Ata and Nicholas Hughes Named as Finalists for the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards 2024 (20 May 2024)
• Duncan Lewis’ Nicholas Hughes Discussed the Rwanda Bill During a Busy Day in the Media Spotlight (26 April 2024)
• Duncan Lewis Solicitors Celebrates Three Prestigious Wins at the Modern Law Awards 2024 (8 March 2024)
• Duncan Lewis Clients Prevail as Home Secretary Admits Harmondsworth IRC Evacuation Human Rights and Equality Breaches (30 November 2023)
• Supreme Court Unanimously Rules Rwanda Policy Unlawful (15 November 2023)
• Brook House Inquiry Report Highlights Racism, Abuse and Inhuman Treatment of Immigration Removal Centre Detainees (19 September 2023)
• Rwanda Asylum Seeker Scheme Challenge Continues (27 June 2022)
• Brook House Public Inquiry Hearings Begin (22 November 2021)
• Brook House – Public Inquiry announcement (6 November 2019)
• Home Office loses final bid to stop investigators probing G4S detention centre (Morning Star) (12 August 2019)
• High Court declares Home Secretary’s investigation into immigration detention abuse at Brook House inadequate (14 June 2019)
• High Court to determine legality of Home Office proposed inquiry into immigration detention abuse (13 June 2019)
• Brook House Inquiry: High Court orders hearing to determine whether Home Office’s inquiry into detention centre abuse will comply with human rights (31 January 2019)
• Brook House IRC inquiry to commence after Duncan Lewis client’s claim prompts Home Office U-turn decision (Multiple Sources) (15 October 2018)
• Home Office in major U-turn agrees to Article 3-compliant investigation by PPO into abuse at Brook House IRC (11 October 2018)
• Duncan Lewis Public Law Team talk at Oxford University (30 May 2018)
• Nicholas Hughes features on RT discussing the government’s policy on rendition & torture overseas (12 April 2018)
• Duncan Lewis launches challenge to Home Secretary’s failure to instigate public inquiry into G4S abuse of detainees at Brook House IRC (29 January 2018)
• Duncan Lewis Public Law team returns from Germany as part of an ongoing challenge to reunite an unaccompanied Afghan asylum-seeking child with his family in the UK (8 September 2016)