High Court dismisses JR over immigration detainees’ legal advice – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The High Court has dismissed a judicial review brought against the lord chancellor over immigration detainees’ access to justice.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 13th January 2022

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Brook House Inquiry: Phase 1 Hearings Reviewed – Appin Mackay-Champion – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted January 6th, 2022 in detention, human rights, immigration, inquiries, news by sally

‘The Brook House inquiry has recently concluded its first phase of hearings which took place between November 23 and December 10, 2021 at the International Dispute Resolution Centre (IDRC). Brook House is an Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) beside Gatwick Airport, originally managed by the private security company G4S. The inquiry was set up to investigate the actions and circumstances surrounding the “mistreatment” of male detainees at Brook House between April 1 to August 31 2017, and specifically, examining whether the treatment experienced was contrary to Article 3 ECHR (the right not to be subjected to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment). This followed the damning footage filmed by an undercover reporter in Brook House during the “relevant period”, and broadcast on the BBC Panorama Programme “Undercover: Britain’s Immigration Secrets” which aired on September 4, 2017.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 6th January 2022

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Home Office hit with high court claim over refusal to treat HIV patient in detention centre – The Independent

‘The Home Office will undergo a high court battle over a HIV patient who was denied life-saving treatment while being held in an immigration detention centre for over two weeks, The Independent can reveal.’

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The Independent, 1st January 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Remand inmates in England and Wales ‘facing second Christmas behind bars’ – The Guardian

‘Some defendants will be facing “a second Christmas behind bars without the opportunity to prove their innocence”, a legal charity has warned, as the number of remand prisoners in England and Wales detained longer than the legal custody limit continues to rise.’

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The Guardian, 1st December 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Grace period in a time of Covid – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted December 1st, 2021 in asylum, coronavirus, delay, deportation, detention, housing, human rights, immigration, news by sally

‘In R (Babbage) v The Secretary of State for the Home Department [2021] EWHC 2995 (Admin), the Claimant applied for judicial review, claiming that his immigration detention from 27 February 2020 to 29 April 2021 had been unlawful and/or that there was a public law error relating to the delay in the provision of s.4 accommodation. Soole J gave a potentially significant judgment concerning the ambit of the “grace period” for locating s.4 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 accommodation, i.e. accommodation provided to failed asylum seekers. The judge also made some apposite comments concerning the requirement for appropriate evidence in unlawful detention claims from the relevant decision maker.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 30th November 2021

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

100 people held more than 20 years in ‘institutions’ – BBC News

‘One hundred people with learning disabilities and autism in England have been held in specialist hospitals for at least 20 years, the BBC has learned. The finding was made during an investigation into the case of an autistic man detained since 2001.’

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BBC news, 25th November 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Brook House detention centre whistleblower ‘abuse’ inquiry begins – BBC News

‘A public inquiry into the mistreatment of immigration detainees has heard a BBC Panorama documentary revealed “shocking” treatment which had “no place in a decent and humane” system.’

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BBC News, 23rd November 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Detention of a minor for his own protection – round two – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The Court of Appeal has recently upheld the High Court decision that Section 38 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (“PACE”) is not incompatible with Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights (“ECHR”) insofar as it purports to authorise the detention of minors for their own protection, in the case of Archer v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2021] EWCA Civ 1662.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 23rd November 2021

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

HIV patient ‘denied life-saving medication’ in UK detention centre – The Independent

‘A man with HIV who was awaiting deportation to Jamaica is being denied life-saving treatment in an immigration detention centre, The Independent has learned. The 42-year-old man relies on daily medication to manage his condition, and says the dosages for his other ailments, schizophrenia and depression, have been reduced by staff at Colnbrook Immigration Centre.’

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The Independent, 6th November 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

MoD has settled 417 Iraq war compensation claims this year – The Guardian

‘The Ministry of Defence has quietly settled 417 Iraq compensation claims and paid out several million pounds to resolve accusations that British troops subjected Iraqis to cruel and inhumane treatment, arbitrary detention or assault.’

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The Guardian, 6th November 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Office must rethink ‘regressive’ plans to use X-ray asylum seekers for age assessments, say charities – The Independent

‘The Home Office must rethink its “regressive and unethical” plans to use scientific methods such X-rays to age assess asylum seekers, a coalition of children’s charities has warned.’

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The Independent, 1st November 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

New Judgment: R (on the application of Majera (formerly SM (Rwanda)) (AP) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2021] UKSC 46 – UKSC Blog

Posted October 21st, 2021 in bail, deportation, detention, immigration, news, release on licence, Supreme Court by sally

‘The Appellant is a national of Rwanda who had been granted indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom. After being convicted of serious criminal offences in 2006, he received a sentence of imprisonment and in 2012 was made the subject of a deportation order which has never been implemented. When he was later released on licence, the Secretary of State decided that The Appellant should be detained under paragraph 2 of Schedule 3 to the Immigration Act 1971 (“the 1971 Act”), pending his removal or departure from the United Kingdom.’

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UKSC Blog, 20th October 2021

Source: ukscblog.com

New Judgment: R (on the application of Majera (formerly SM (Rwanda)) v Secretary of State for the Home Department – EIN Blog

Posted October 21st, 2021 in bail, deportation, detention, immigration, news, release on licence, Supreme Court by sally

‘The Appellant is a national of Rwanda who had been granted indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom. After being convicted of serious criminal offences in 2006, he received a sentence of imprisonment and in 2012 was made the subject of a deportation order which has never been implemented. When he was later released on licence, the Secretary of State decided that The Appellant should be detained under paragraph 2 of Schedule 3 to the Immigration Act 1971 (“the 1971 Act”), pending his removal or departure from the United Kingdom.’

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EIN Blog, 20th October 2021

Source: www.ein.org.uk

Last-minute legal claims brought by deportees due to ‘shambolic’ advice system in detention, lawyers warn – The Independent

‘Last-minute legal claims are being brought by people facing deportation due to the “shambolic” legal advice system in removal centres, lawyers have warned.’

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The Independent, 17th October 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Thousands of potential trafficking victims held in immigration centres, data shows – The Guardian

‘More than 4,500 people have been held in immigration detention in England and Wales before being released into the community and only then identified as potential victims of trafficking, official figures for the past five years show.
Charities claim the figures demonstrate a “detain first, ask later” attitude that runs counter to the fight against modern slavery and suggest others are probably being deported without having been referred for support. They fear the situation will be exacerbated by the nationality and borders bill, which they say makes it harder to identify victims.’

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The Guardian, 18th October 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

High Court judge approves bespoke placement in case where he had declined to authorise continued deprivation of liberty of 12 year old in psychiatric admissions unit – Local Government Lawyer

Posted October 1st, 2021 in care homes, children, detention, hospitals, local government, mental health, news by tracey

‘A High Court judge who last week refused to exercise the inherent jurisdiction to authorise the continued deprivation of the liberty of a 12-year-old child (LT) in an acute psychiatric admission unit for adolescents, has since authorised her deprivation of liberty in an empty children’s home found by the local authority, it has emerged.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 29th September 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Judge refuses to authorise deprivation of liberty of vulnerable 12-year-old girl in acute psychiatric admissions unit, despite lack of alternative accommodation – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 29th, 2021 in children, detention, hospitals, housing, local government, mental health, news by sally

‘A High Court judge has declined to find that it was in the best interests of a 12-year-old girl (LT), who does not have a psychiatric condition requiring hospitalisation, to be deprived of her liberty on an acute psychiatric admission unit.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 28th September 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Police powers: detention and custody – House of Commons Library

Posted August 20th, 2021 in custody, detention, investigatory powers, mental health, news, parliament, police by sally

‘This Commons Library briefing paper describes police detention powers and outlines a recent history of their reform. It also describes the police custody estate.’

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House of Commons Library, 19th August 2021

Source: commonslibrary.parliament.uk

Mental health crisis ends in cells for too many, snapshot suggests – BBC News

Posted August 20th, 2021 in custody, detention, hospitals, mental health, news, police, statistics by sally

‘Up to 4,500 people in mental health crisis were unlawfully held in police custody in England and Wales in a year, previously unpublished data suggests.’

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BBC News, 20th August 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Authorising unregistered care and deprivation of liberty – Local Government Lawyer

‘Martin Downs analyses the Supreme Court’s judgment on the use of the inherent jurisdiction to authorise the deprivation of liberty of children in alternative restrictive placements by a local authority in cases where an approved secure children’s home is unavailable.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 13th August 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk