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Public Law News
Sir Mo Farah’s trafficking story must inspire change says group letter signed by Ahmed Aydeed (21 July 2022)
Duncan Lewis public law director backs calls for Government action on behalf of trafficking victims Read more...
Rwanda Asylum Seeker Scheme Challenge Continues (27 June 2022)
The public law team at Duncan Lewis Solicitors is continuing to lead the challenge to the Government’s controversial plan to remove asylum seekers to Rwanda. Read more...
Government should use Windrush Day to rethink broken compensation scheme (22 June 2022)
Duncan Lewis launches judicial review challenge to government Windrush scheme which denies victims access to their rightful compensation Read more...
Bereaved Families Welcome Inquiry into Channel Crossing Mass Drowning (6 June 2022)
Families of some of the 27 people who drowned trying to cross the English Channel last year have welcomed an announcement that a full independent inquiry will take place. Read more...
Duncan Lewis succeeds in overturning the UT judge decision in deportation appeal (27 May 2022)
In MS (Jamaica) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (CA-2021-001938), MS challenged the UT judge’s decisions on both the error of law hearing and the legal reasoning employed in support of its decision to dismiss MS’ appeal on Art 8 grounds at the substantive hearing. Read more...
Cart Judicial Reviews confuse the Administrative Court but should they be scrapped? (26 May 2022)
There has been much controversy over the recommendations of the Faulks report into judicial review reform, writes public law director James Packer in the latest edition of ILPA. Read more...
Jamie Bell shortlisted for Public Law Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year at the LALY awards (19 May 2022)
We are thrilled to announce Jamie Bell has been shortlisted in the public law category of the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards 2022. Read more...
Home Office backs down on refugee pushbacks policy in the face of legal challenge by Duncan Lewis and others (26 April 2022)
The Home Office has withdrawn the Pushbacks policy, a week before the final judicial review hearing on it. Read more...
Court orders disclosure of key elements of the Home Office’s Pushbacks Policy (22 April 2022)
The High Court passed down an interim judgment on 13 April 2022 in three cases challenging the Home Office’s ‘pushback’ policy which details the tactical plan of the SSHD to send migrant vessels out of UK waters and back to France. Read more...
Duncan Lewis wins challenge to Legal Aid Agency’s refusal to backdate funding for Queen’s Counsel (8 April 2022)
In R (Duncan Lewis) v The Director of Legal Aid Casework and the Lord Chancellor (CO/746/2022), we challenged the refusal to backdate funding for Queen’s Counsel in a claim for judicial review of the Government’s treatment of British nationals and their families who could not be evacuated from Afghanistan as part of Operation Pitting. Read more...
Trafficking victim wins first two pro-boxing bouts after leave to remain victory (21 March 2022)
A former England boxer and Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ client who we successfully represented in a lengthy battle to remain in the UK has notched up two more victories – his first professional boxing bouts. Read more...
Wales Public Law Team Nominated for Top Honour at Wales Legal Awards (16 March 2022)
Our public law team has been shortlisted for a top accolade at the Wales Legal Awards 2022 for their dedication to improving access to justice. Read more...
Ahmed Aydeed nominated as Partner of the Year at the Birmingham Law Society Awards (9 March 2022)
We are thrilled to announce that public law director Ahmed Aydeed has been nominated as Partner of the Year in the Birmingham Law Society (BLS) Awards. Read more...
‘Home Office Policy Discriminates Against Women Refugees’ (25 February 2022)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors has issued a judicial review against the Secretary of State for the Home Department and her failure to provide access to in-person legal advice to women refugees in Derwentside immigration removal centre. Read more...
Permission granted to bring a judicial review claim against the lawfulness of the UK Government’s evacuation of British nationals and their dependants from Afghanistan (20 January 2022)
The Claimants are a British national and his Afghan wife and children. They were not evacuated by the UK Government in August 2021 and remain in Afghanistan where they fear for their lives on account of their connection to the UK. Read more...
Forbes Bulgaria – 30 under 30 - Maria Petrova-Collins (14 January 2022)
Public law solicitor Maria Petrova-Collins has been acknowledged by Forbes Bulgaria in the social entrepreneurship category, for her hard work on behalf of the most marginalised people in society. Read more...
PCS and Care4Calais challenge the Home Office Pushbacks Policy (6 January 2022)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors is representing the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) and Care4Calais in a judicial review claim challenging the lawfulness of the Home Office’s policy of redirecting migrant boats out of UK waters and back to France (the Pushbacks Policy). Read more...
Public Law Solicitor Sangeetha Vairavamoorthy is awarded the Society of Asian Lawyers’ Rising Star Award (22 December 2021)
We are pleased to announce that public law solicitor Sangeetha Vairavamoorthy has been awarded the Society of Asian Lawyers’ Rising Star Award at the Asian Legal Awards 2021. Read more...
High Court rules that refusal of British citizenship to Windrush Claimants is in breach of human rights (16 December 2021)
The High Court has ruled that the Home Secretary breached the human rights of two members of the Windrush generation when she refused to recognise them as British citizens. Read more...
Duncan Lewis has been instructed to represent the UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, especially in Women and Children, in the Court of Appeal (4 November 2021)
Our London based public law team has been instructed by the UN Special Rapporteur to intervene in the forthcoming Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) case of R v AAD, AAH and AAI. Read more...
Upper Tribunal quashes SSHD's decision to refuse to transfer Afghan boy living alone in Greece so he can live with his family in UK (3 November 2021)
On 28 October 2021, the Upper Tribunal quashed a Home Office decision to refuse to transfer an Afghan boy living alone in Greece to live with his uncle and grandmother in the UK. Read more...
James Packer Highly Commended for Human Rights Lawyer of the Year and Jeremy Bloom Wins Junior Lawyer of the Year at the Law Society Excellence Awards 2021 (8 October 2021)
We are delighted to reveal that our public law director James Packer has been Highly Commended for the Human Rights Lawyer of the Year award and public law solicitor Jeremy Bloom has won the Junior Lawyer of the Year at the 2021 Law Society Excellence Awards. Read more...
Court gives permission to apply for JR to challenge the Home Secretary’ failure to publish guidance on the requirement to give ‘informed consent’ to withdraw from the NRM (2 September 2021)
High Court grants permission to apply for judicial review in challenge to the Home Secretary’s failure to publish guidance on the requirement to give ‘informed consent’ to withdraw from the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) and the unlawful imposition of reporting conditions by the Home Secretary, after grant of High Court bail. Read more...
SSHD withdraws its decision to refuse discretionary leave to remain to a victim of trafficking and is ordered to pay damages (4 August 2021)
The SSHD refused to grant the Claimants’ discretionary leave to remain as victims of trafficking/modern slavery based on their personal circumstances. Read more...
The Court of Appeal to determine if obtaining interim relief in Judicial Review proceedings amounts to success for costs purposes (20 July 2021)
In The Queen on the Application of MS (Afghanistan) v SSHD, we brought Judicial Review proceedings, with the Claimant seeking to challenge the decision to cease his asylum support on 19 February 2020. Read more...
Five Duncan Lewis clients challenge the consultation on the Home Office’s new plan for immigration (9 June 2021)
The Claimants are challenging the lawfulness of the Secretary of State for the Home Department’s consultation on the New Plan for Immigration which ran from 24 March to 6 May 2021 Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors shortlisted at 2021 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards (19 May 2021)
We are pleased to announce that we have been shortlisted for two awards at this year’s Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) awards. Read more...
High Court finds colossal interference in Windrush rights by Home Office (6 May 2021)
High Court rules Secretary of State for the Home Department has committed ‘a colossal interference’ in the right to family life of a Windrush victim Read more...
Public law solicitor Jamie Bell is named The Times’ Lawyer of the Week (22 April 2021)
Public law solicitor Jamie Bell is named The Times' Lawyer of the Week due to his work acting for Ahmed Lawal, a key witness to the death of his friend Oscar Okwurime in an immigration detention centre Read more...
Home Office held in breach of Article 2 duty concerning death in immigration detention (14 April 2021)
This application for judicial review arose following the death of Oscar Lucky Okwurime on 12 September 2019 in immigration detention, in his cell at IRC Harmondsworth Read more...
Court of Appeal finds SSHD acted unlawfully in failing to obtain medical evidence regarding the torture claims of individuals detained under immigration powers in prison (14 April 2021)
The Court of Appeal has today unanimously found that it was irrational for the Secretary of State for the Home Department (‘SSHD’) to not have obtained medical information about the torture claims of two vulnerable immigration detainees who were detained under immigration powers in prison Read more...
Home Office ordered to pay for guest house accommodation pending provision of support under section 98/95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. (8 April 2021)
RK is a Pakistani national who was a victim of forced marriage in Pakistan. She had fled to the UK as a student where she was able to get a divorce and start a new life. Read more...
Client wins appeal against removal of UK citizenship (19 March 2021)
This case involved an appeal to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) against a decision to deprive the Appellant of his British Citizenship on grounds of national security. Read more...
News Update – Penally Camp Closure (17 March 2021)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors welcomes the news that the Penally Camp used to hold asylum seekers from September 2020 is set to close on 21 March 2021. Read more...
Court declares legal aid arrangements for immigration detainees in prisons to be unlawful (25 February 2021)
In a landmark judgment of the High Court today, Mr Justice Swift declared that the arrangements for immigration detainees held in prisons to access immigration and asylum legal aid are unlawful. Read more...
Judicial Review issued challenging Age Assessments at Kent Intake Unit (12 February 2021)
Our client challenges the decision of the Secretary of State for Home Department (SSHD) to assess his age as being over 25 years old upon arriving in the United Kingdom to claim asylum Read more...
Home Office abandons unlawful plans to house asylum seekers at Yarl’s Wood (9 February 2021)
The Home Office has decided not to proceed with its plans to house up to 200 asylum seekers in prefabricated temporary accommodation on the site of Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre. Read more...
Duncan Lewis secures significant changes to UK aid provided to Libya (19 January 2021)
Duncan Lewis’ clients, MAK and TM, fled their countries of origin due to persecution. On their way to the UK, they passed through Libya. Read more...
Eritrea Focus v FCDO: Update on the Eritrean Road Building Project Legal Challenge (18 January 2021)
An update on Eritrea Focus’ legal challenge against the UK government’s funding and support to the EU Trust Fund for Africa's ‘Reconnecting Eritrea and Ethiopia through rehabilitation of the main arterial roads in Eritrea’ development project in Eritrea. Read more...