Luqmani Thompson & Partners is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority : SRA number 00290208.
Luqmani Thompson & Partners
77/79 High Road
Wood Green
London N22 6BB
United Kingdom
Entrance to our office is on Brampton Park Road.
DX Address
Please note that from the 01/11/2021 Luqmani Thompson & Partners will no longer use the DX service. From that date please use Royal Mail postal address or preferably our main email address enq@luqmanithompson.com
Phone: 020 8365 7800
Fax: 020 8826 0169
Copyright © 2020 by Luqmani Thompson & Partners. All rights reserved.
All personnel will act in accordance with the firm’s Equality & Diversity Policy at all times.
Cookie Policy
Copyright Statement
Privacy Policy
Terms of use
Site Map
Disclaimer
Short Disclaimer
Complaints Procedure
Law Firm Website by Accesspoint Media Services
All clients are seen by appointment only. If you have a case that you would like us to take on please fill out the quick form to arrange a consultation.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.
Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.
Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!
Themes in immigration policy: deportation and legal aid
March 8, 2014
Tags:
08.03.2014 – Further to our series considering deportation and the ‘public interest’ we consider provision of legal aid for those currently faced with deportation from the UK and following recent protests against legal aid cuts in the Criminal Justice System
Prior to April 2013 legal aid was available to those who required legal advice regarding deportation or removal from the United Kingdom. A fixed fee was payable by the Legal Services Commission (now the Legal Aid Agency) to solicitors or other accredited advisors who gave general advice to individuals. This normally involved travelling to see clients detained in removal centres and prisons; assisting clients in completing Home Office questionnaires issued to those whom the Secretary of State wished to deport; and helping to demonstrate evidence of family and other ties to the UK.
If a Deportation Order was made and the individual wished to appeal against the decision to a tribunal, the Legal Services Commission would pay a further fee for preparation of the case to go to court (the Tribunal). This would normally cover taking witness statements from family members, friends and other members of the community; obtaining official records including national insurance records, probation and prison reports, and sentencing remarks; sourcing testimonials on behalf of clients; or simply demonstrating the length of an individual’s residence in the country, an often complex and time-consuming process. A further fixed advocacy fee would be payable for an individual’s representation at the tribunal, irrespective of the number of hours spent waiting at court.
This work was never profitable. The total cost to the state of representing a person subject to deportation proceedings who responded to the Home Office questionnaire and then appealed against the decision was usually just over £900 in cases that would usually span 1-2 years depending on when the advisor was first instructed. The number of hours spent on these types of cases, from start to finish by firms such as ours, would rarely be less than 30 and often far more. There was provision for an increase in fees, but only if the cases proceeded to take 3 times longer than was expected by the legal aid authorities, with no allowance given for the very large number of cases that were double or just under 3 times the limit.
Since April 2013 and cuts to the civil legal aid budget have come into force, legal aid is no longer available for any immigration matters (with some notable exceptions) and this includes provision of advice and representation for those facing deportation. This is despite the Supreme Court recently referring to the law in this field as “an impenetrable jungle of intertwined statutory provisions and judicial decisions”, with regular and substantial changes to the immigration rules governing individual rights to remain in the UK.
Luqmani Thompson & Partners regularly represents clients facing deportation decisions, in appeals against decisions to deport and in applications for the revocation of orders for Deportation.
Related Posts
Illegal Immigration Bill March 2023
Jawaid Luqmani and Sally Thompson privileged to attend the memorial service honouring a legend in the field
Milla Walker highlights problems with refugee family reunion and ‘safe legal routes’ on BBC Radio 4
Jawaid Luqmani outlines new SRA guidance for immigration work
Milla Walker contributes to article on the shortage of legal aid lawyers for asylum seekers
Luqmani Thompson featured in Times Best Law Firms 2023 in Immigration category
Jawaid Luqmani appointed to Law Society Council October 2021
What will happen at my immigration appeal hearing?
What Home Office decisions can be appealed to the tribunal, and on what grounds?
Making an appeal against a Home Office decision