The focus of our work is for detainees who have a mental or physical disability, children, victims of trafficking and for those who have been detained for very long periods. We bring judicial reviews and also damages only claims for past periods of unlawful detention. We have an excellent reputation and a very high success rate for our work in this area. In 2011 we won an award for our work in this area from the charity, Medical Justice, who praised “tremendous contribution in protecting immigration detainees against medical abuse in detention centres”.

We also work closely with Bail for Immigration Detainees and Detention Action (formerly London Detainee Support Group) both in relation to individual cases and to co-ordinate strategy to challenge unlawful detention practices. Our team has been involved in many reported test cases including decisions on returns to Somalia, Iran, Iraq and Palestine, claims under Disability Discrimination legislation, a Court of Appeal decision on the medical treatment of HIV+ detainees and a challenge of Home Office policy on the grant of s.4 bail addresses.

In addition, to our immigration detention work we also provide advice and representation to those in prison, for example cases concerning handcuffing, inadequate medical treatment and discrimination claims. One of our team, Anne-Marie Jolly, previously worked at the Howard League for Penal Reform and specialises in prisoners’ rights cases.

Our lead solicitor for detention and prison cases is Joanna Thomson.