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News
Duncan Lewis succeeds in challenge over blanket Legal Aid refusals for Judicial Reviews where permission was refused on paper (20 December 2018)
In a judicial review against the Lord Chancellor, Duncan Lewis has successfully challenged the blanket refusal to provide legal aid funding for judicial reviews where permission was refused on the papers. The result will assist legal aid providers representing some of the most vulnerable in society and should in turn enhance access to justice. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Birmingham Office Relocates (18 December 2018)
We are pleased to announce that our Birmingham office has relocated and as of Monday 17th December can be found at 158 Edmund House, Birmingham, B3 2HB. Read more...
Duncan Lewis have been shortlisted for Five Awards at the Modern Law Awards 2019 (11 December 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors is pleased to announce that five specialists from our Harrow and Luton offices have been shortlisted in three different categories as part of the Modern Law Awards 2019; Lawyer of the Year, Rising Star of the Year and Paralegal of the Year. Read more...
Duncan Lewis enjoys success at the LawWorks Pro Bono Awards 2018 (4 December 2018)
It was a successful night for Duncan Lewis at the 2018 LawWorks Pro Bono Awards with housing solicitor Lynda Reid being ‘Highly Commended’ for the Best Contribution by an Individual award and public law trainee solicitor Marios Kontos being ‘Highly Commended’ for the Junior Lawyers Division Pro Bono Award. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors attend the TUC Awards Night and 150th Anniversary Celebration Dinner (4 December 2018)
Last Friday, a number of Duncan Lewis’ lawyers attended the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Awards night and 150th anniversary celebration dinner at the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham which celebrated 150 years of trade unionism. Read more...
Upper Tribunal rules Home Office’s removal of disputed minor to Germany unlawful and orders his return to UK (4 December 2018)
Following a hearing that took place on 11 October 2018, Mr Justice William Davis, a High Court Judge sitting in the Upper Tribunal, ruled that the Home Office unlawfully removed ‘QH’, an exceptionally vulnerable young Afghan male, to Germany. As a result, the Court has today ordered the Home Office to take steps to return QH to the UK so that his asylum claim can be decided here. Read more...
Duncan Lewis attends Medaille Trust Conference discussing immigration, victims of trafficking and modern slavery (3 December 2018)
Immigration director Zofia Duszynska and trainee solicitor Saul Stone were delighted to be invited to address the Medaille Trust Annual Conference on Friday 30 November on immigration issues facing victims of trafficking and modern slavery. Read more...
Public Law Director Toufique Hossain gives evidence in connection to the Joint Committee on Human Rights’ inquiry into immigration detention (28 November 2018)
Duncan Lewis’ public law director Toufique Hossain gave oral evidence in connection to the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) inquiry into immigration detention on Wednesday 21st November at the Palace of Westminster. Read more...
Duncan Lewis’ Public Law Solicitor Jamie Bell attended the ‘People of Afghanistan Look to the Future’ conference as part of Parliament Week (26 November 2018)
The Afghanistan and Central Asian Association (ACAA) and the Campaign for Human Rights for the People of Afghanistan (CHRA) hosted the People of Afghanistan Look to the Future conference as part of Parliament Week, bringing together speakers from different sectors to discuss key issues affecting Afghan people in the UK today. Read more...
‘Sri Lanka: Permanent counterinsurgency, and the Tamil threat abroad’ - what Duncan Lewis Immigration Department at Dalston learned from Dr Suthaharan Nadarajah (23 November 2018)
On Thursday 22nd November 2018, Dr Suthaharan Nadarajah, of SOAS University of London, attended our Dalston office to deliver training on ‘Sri Lanka: Permanent counterinsurgency, and the Tamil threat abroad’. Read more...
Secret Court Overturns Home Office Decisions To Deprive Two Men of their British Citizenship (20 November 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors have successfully appealed the decisions of the Home Office to deprive two men of their British citizenship. As the appeals involved matters of national security, they were heard by the secretive court, the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC). The Commission, chaired by Mr Justice Jay, allowed the appeals of the two men, anonymised as E3 and N3, on the basis that the deprivation orders had rendered them stateless. Read more...
UPDATE: Challenge to Legality of Removals Policy – Home Office further amends policy in response to Judgment (13 November 2018)
The judgment in R (FB and NR) v SSHD (JR/9948/2017 and JR/9949/2017), was handed down on 31st October 2018. The Upper Tribunal (UT) found the Home Office removals policy (‘Judicial reviews and injunctions’, Version v15.0) to be unlawful in several respects, as detailed below. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors welcomes Lorick Winarskie as Housing Director in Birmingham (6 November 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors are pleased to announce the recent appointment of new Housing Director, Lorick Winarskie at the firm’s Birmingham office where he will oversee and spearhead our specialist housing department alongside consultant solicitors Christina McCormack and Meera Betab, and solicitor Rupinder Jagdev. With 30 years’ worth of experience in housing law, Lorick brings with him a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Read more...
Our Public Law Director Ahmed Aydeed Speaks at Immigration and Public Law Seminar at Matrix Chambers (5 November 2018)
Ahmed Aydeed, a solicitor and director at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, spoke as a panel member on Medical Expert Evidence in Immigration and Public Law at a seminar held at Matrix Chambers on 30 October 2018. Read more...
Ahmed Aydeed speaks at Islington North, Black and Ethnic Minority Forum, Black History Month Event (5 November 2018)
On Wednesday 31st October, Ahmed Aydeed, a solicitor and director of public law based at Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Birmingham branch, spoke at the Islington North Black and Minority Ethnic Forum, Black History Month event. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors Challenge the Lack of Immigration Advice in the Prison Estate (5 November 2018)
As a firm, Duncan Lewis currently represents a number of individuals who are subject to immigration control, but are detained within the prison estate as opposed to within immigration removal centres. We have commenced judicial review proceedings on their behalf, primarily arguing that the Lord Chancellor, the Director of Legal Aid Casework and/or the Secretary of State for the Home Department are squarely discriminating against those held under immigration powers who are detained within prisons when compared to detainees in immigration removal centres. Read more...
Duncan Lewis wins unlawful detention claim on behalf of client with mental health problems in R (oao) Chernor Dede Bah –v- The Secretary of State for the Home Department [2018] EWHC 2942 (Admin) (5 November 2018)
Mr. Bah was referred to Duncan Lewis by Medical Justice, with preliminary medical evidence suggesting that he may have been unable to adequately ventilate his protection claim in the United Kingdom due to severe mental illness. Throughout January 2018, Duncan Lewis challenged the lawfulness of Mr. Bah’s continued detention. In the judgment handed down on 2 November 2018, it was conceded that the failure to conduct an initial medical examination pursuant to Rule 34 of the Detention Centre Rules 2001 was unlawful. The Court held that Mr. Bah’s detention for the following four weeks was unlawful. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors shortlisted for four awards at the LawWorks Pro Bono Awards 2018 (2 November 2018)
We are delighted to announce that Duncan Lewis Solicitors has been shortlisted for four awards at the LawWorks Pro Bono Awards 2018. The Awards recognise and celebrate achievement in legal pro bono work carried out by organisations and individuals over the course of the last twelve months. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors achieves excellent Chambers & Partners UK 2019 results nationwide (2 November 2018)
We are pleased to announce that Duncan Lewis Solicitors has received fantastic recognition in the Chambers & Partners 2019 legal guide with the firm receiving departmental ranking and recognitions in London, Birmingham and Watford, Uxbridge and surrounds. Four of our legal practitioners have been ranked in their respective areas of law and a fifth has been named a ‘Recognised Practitioner’. Read more...
Public Law Director Toufique Hossain has been ranked in The Legal 500 2019 (31 October 2018)
We are pleased to announce that director of public law and immigration, Toufique Hossain, has received outstanding recognition in The Legal 500 2018-2019 edition, receiving recommendations in four practice areas, including being ranked as a ‘Next Generation Lawyer’ for Administrative and Public Law in London. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Immigration Director Vinita Templeton is ranked as a ‘Leading Individual’ by The Legal 500 2019 (31 October 2018)
It is our pleasure to announce that our Cardiff Immigration Director, Vinita Templeton has been ranked as a ‘Leading Individual’ in the 2019 edition of The Legal 500 for her fantastic contributions in the Human Resources: Immigration, Wales category. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Housing Director, Heather Iqbal Rayner, is ranked as a ‘Leading Individual’ by The Legal 500 2019 (30 October 2018)
We are thrilled to announce that our Cardiff office’s Housing Director, Heather Iqbal Rayner has been ranked as a ‘Leading Individual’ in the 2019 edition of The Legal 500 for her amazing contributions in the Real Estate: Social Housing, Wales category for the fourth year running. Read more...
Duncan Lewis achieves excellent nationwide Legal 500 success as a top tier firm for immigration in London and Wales with many more rankings and recommendations (30 October 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors are proud to announce its outstanding recognition in the Legal 500 2018 Edition which sees 15 legal departments nationwide and an exceptional 39 lawyers recognised across a multitude of practice areas. Read more...
Duncan Lewis provided advice at the Waging Peace legal clinic hosted by Garden Court Chambers (23 October 2018)
On Tuesday 16th October, a number of our specialist legal practitioners attended the Waging Peace legal clinic at Garden Court Chambers to provide advice for individuals who needed to know the best steps to take in their legal matter. Read more...
Duncan Lewis attended Legal Week at King’s College London (19 October 2018)
As we see this year’s Legal Week come to a close, we look back on what went on at King’s College London. Legal practitioners from Duncan Lewis were invited to discuss their experiences as professionals in the legal sector at the largest legal aid firm in the UK. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors welcomes new solicitor Stefan Vnuk to its Public Law Team (18 October 2018)
Duncan Lewis is very pleased to announce that solicitor Stefan Vnuk has joined its Public Law department. Stefan has joined Duncan Lewis from Lupins Solicitors, where he was Head of Department, and brings with him over 20 years’ worth of legal experience. Read more...
A Night to Remember at the Law Society Excellence Awards (18 October 2018)
This year’s Law Society Excellence Awards ceremony was certainly a night to remember for Duncan Lewis. It is a delight to announce that we were highly commended for the prestigious Law Firm of the Year – Large award. Read more...
Ahmed Aydeed has been highly commended for Human Rights Lawyer of the Year at the 2018 Law Society Excellence Awards (18 October 2018)
Last night at the annual Law Society Excellence Awards, Ahmed Aydeed, received high commendation for the category of Human Rights Lawyer of the Year. This commendation comes a year after Ahmed won Junior Lawyer of the Year at the 2017 awards and just a few months after he was a finalist at the Birmingham Law Society Awards for Partner of the Year. Read more...
Lex 100 survey results are in: Duncan Lewis wins for client contact for second year in a row (15 October 2018)
We are pleased to announce that the Lex 100 has released their annual survey results and Duncan Lewis have come on top for client contact. Lex 100 surveys a wide range of firms, from large firms with a substantial work-force, to smaller firms made up of a select team of individuals. Trainees are asked to rate their firms according to different categories, which are then ranked for the benefit of prospective trainees looking for the best place to apply for a training contract. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Attends First Immigration Detention Conference at ILPA (12 October 2018)
On Tuesday 9th October, Toufique Hossain, a director of immigration public law at Duncan Lewis, was invited to speak at the first Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA) conference on immigration detention. Toufique Hossain, who heads a team of almost 50 immigration and public law lawyers at Duncan Lewis’ head office in Harrow, was asked to attend to speak on a number of key challenges he is bringing to raise awareness of the issues which face immigration detainees in the UK today. Read more...
Permission granted for Duncan Lewis to challenge the Legal Aid Regulations that prevents payment where permission was refused on paper (12 October 2018)
Further to the success brought by Duncan Lewis which resulted in the Government agreeing to amend the Civil Legal Aid (Procedure) Regulations 2012 to allow for legal aid certificates to be backdated, this judicial review continues the fight for access to justice, in a challenge to a different Legal Aid Regulation that stands in the way of providers continuing to assist those who are most in need. Read more...
Duncan Lewis shortlisted for awards at the Society of Asian Lawyers Awards (11 October 2018)
We are thrilled to announce that four Duncan Lewis lawyers have been shortlisted for awards at this year’s Society of Asian Lawyers Legal Awards. Criminal defence director, Rubin Italia has been shortlisted for the prestigious Criminal Lawyer 2018 award; Childcare director Ravi Kaur Mahey has been shortlisted for the Commercial/Civil Lawyer 2018 award; and Public law solicitor Sheroy Zaq has is up for the Rising Star 2018 award. Housing director Manjinder Kaur Atwal has been shortlisted for two awards, the Commercial/Civil Lawyer Award and the Rising Star Award. Read more...
Home Office in major U-turn agrees to Article 3-compliant investigation by PPO into abuse at Brook House IRC (11 October 2018)
Following legal proceedings the Home Office have backed down and agreed to the appointment of the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) to undertake a bespoke and independent Article 3 ECHR-compliant investigation into abuse of detainees at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) that was exposed by a BBC Panorama documentary in September 2017. Read more...
Government to amend regulations in response to Duncan Lewis access to justice challenge against Legal Aid Agency and Lord Chancellor (5 October 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors are the claimant in a claim for judicial review of the Legal Aid Agency’s refusal to backdate legal aid certificates, even where solicitors have made a legal aid application as promptly as possible and it is necessary to begin work in order to secure access to justice for a client before the Legal Aid Agency has granted a certificate. Our contention in the litigation is that the Legal Aid Agency and Lord Chancellor have failed to recognise that the legal aid regulations must contain an implied power to backdate certificates, or are ultra vires. Read more...
JA Iraq et al v SSHD approved judgment - Duncan Lewis Solicitors involved in landmark judgment involving the detention of individuals under Dublin III Regulation (5 October 2018)
Yesterday, 4th October, the Court of Appeal has handed down a landmark judgment pertaining to the detention of individuals under Dublin III Regulation. The conjoined hearing of appeals related to three judgments that covered the cases of five individuals who were placed in detention for periods pending possible removal to other EU Member States pursuant to the asylum claim arrangements under the so-called Dublin III Regulation. Read more...
In the wake of the Labour Party Conference we ask - is the UK a hostile immigration environment? (1 October 2018)
Toufique Hossain, Zofia Duszynska, Anthony Okumah, Rebecca Thomas, Nilma Shah, Lynda Reid, Tamara Smillie and I have returned from the Labour Party Conference 2018, where we spent an exciting 4 days meeting a number of prominent MPs and organisations who came to visit our stall at the Exhibition Hall. Now, we are taking time to reflect on what we have learnt from our time there, to help us better understand the issues that are affecting the communities we serve today. Read more...
Why we are attending the Labour Party Conference? (21 September 2018)
As legal practitioners representing clients in matters close to Labour’s heart, a team from Duncan Lewis is set to attend the Labour Party Conference from 23 – 26 September, including Anthony Okumah, Zofia Duszynska, Toufique Hossain, Rebecca Thomas, Tamana Aziz, Nilma Shah, Tamara Smillie and Lynda Reid, with an aim to inform MPs, organisations, unions and all those attending about the most telling issues surrounding access to justice today. Read more...
What is service in litigation? (17 September 2018)
Service can be defined as "steps required by rules of court to bring documents used in court proceedings to a person's attention". The purpose of the rules on service, set out in the Civil Procedure Rules, is to ensure that, as far as possible, documents and, in particular the claim form, actually come to the attention of the party to be served. Read more...
Duncan Lewis nominated for two awards at the UK Diversity Legal Awards 2018 (10 September 2018)
We are pleased to announce that Duncan Lewis has been nominated at this year’s UK Diversity Legal Awards for the Access to Justice Award and the Outstanding Multi-cultural/BAME Employee Network Award. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors Shortlisted for two awards at the Family Law Awards 2018 (5 September 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors are pleased to announce that the firm has been shortlisted for the Family Law Firm of the Year award in the forthcoming 2018 Jordan’s Family Law Awards and our Family and Child Care Director Ravi Kaur Mahey has been nominated for ‘Partner of the Year’. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors challenge the detention centre pay regime (5 September 2018)
Our Public Law team have issued Judicial Review proceedings challenging £1 per hour wages within immigration detention centres. The case is a landmark challenge to the detention centre pay regime, first introduced in 2008. In 2016/2017, over 880,000 hours of paid work was carried out by immigration detainees. The vast majority of this work was rewarded with £1 per hour pay (as the ‘specified project’ rate of £1.25 is rarely used). Read more...
Duncan Lewis Client has Interim Relief Granted by European Court of Human Rights (10 August 2018)
In Chowdhury v United Kingdom, under Rule 39 of the Rules of Court, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has decided to indicate to the Government of the United Kingdom that the Applicant should not be removed for the duration of the proceedings before the Court. Read more...
Duncan Lewis successfully challenges the SSHD’s unlawful detention of victim of re-trafficking (6 August 2018)
In CP (Vietnam) v Secretary of State for the Home Department the High Court ruled in favour of the Claimant, concluding that the Secretary of State for the Home Department (SSHD) had breached the Claimant’s protective obligations under Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights and detained him unlawfully. Read more...
Ahmed Aydeed Shortlisted for Human Rights Lawyer of the Year at Law Society Excellence Awards (3 August 2018)
We are thrilled to announce that Duncan Lewis’ Ahmed Aydeed has been shortlisted for the coveted Human Rights Lawyer of the Year award at the 2018 Law Society Excellence Awards. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors commitment to Diversity & Inclusion (3 August 2018)
We are pleased to announce that Duncan Lewis is a finalist for Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion in anticipation of the Law Society Excellence Awards 2018. Read more...
Naim Hasani Shortlisted for Human Rights Lawyer of the Year at Law Society Excellence Awards 2018 (3 August 2018)
We are delighted to announce that Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Naim Hasani has been shortlisted for the Human Rights Lawyer of the Year award at the 2018 Law Society Excellence Awards. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors shortlisted for 6 awards at The Law Society Excellence Awards 2018 (1 August 2018)
We are pleased to announce that Duncan Lewis have been shortlisted for 6 awards, in anticipation of the 12th annual Law Society Excellence Awards 2018. The event will be held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane on 17th October 2018, where it will celebrate the best in the legal sector in 22 highly competitive categories. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors Successful in First Ever FGM Case heard in the Court of Appeal (31 July 2018)
The Court of Appeal has allowed an appeal in the High Court case: X (A Child) (Female Genital Mutilation Protection Order: Restrictions on Travel) [2017] EWHC 2898 (Fam). The case - the first ever FGM case to be heard in the Court of Appeal - in which a 16 year travel ban was imposed on a child ‘X’, due to concerns that X was at risk of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), will be remitted for a full re-hearing of all relevant issues, to a Judge of the Family Division. Read more...
Reducing the Statutory Charge – the lessons of Hana Zewdu v. The Director of Legal Aid Casework [CO/81/2018] (27 July 2018)
Following the filing of judicial review proceedings in the Administrative Court of Justice on 19 December 2017, the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) agreed to pay the Claimant, the full costs of challenging the LAA’s original decision to revoke the Claimant’s public funding certificate, during the course of the Claimant’s prior successful judicial review proceedings against the Secretary of State for the Home Department (SSHD). Read more...
Director of Childcare, Alia Lewis advises on the BBC soap opera, ‘Doctors’ (24 July 2018)
Director of Childcare, Alia Lewis advised on an episode of ‘Doctors,’ providing expert legal advice for a storyline involving a transgender child. The show, ‘Doctors’ is a medical drama following the lives of medical staff of a doctors surgery and the circumstances of patients who are treated at the surgery. The episode, ‘He says, She says’; season 19 episode 193, originally aired on 10th April 2018. Read more...
R (on the application of MR) v (1) Secretary of State for Justice and (2) Secretary of State for the Home Department (24 July 2018)
The Public Law team at Duncan Lewis have issued Judicial Review proceedings on behalf of the Claimant who was held under immigration powers in prison. Read more...
Public Law Solicitor Lewis Kett Wins Legal Aid Newcomer at the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards 2018 (18 July 2018)
Duncan Lewis is pleased to congratulate Lewis Kett, a solicitor in the Public Law department, on his award for Legal Aid Newcomer at the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) Awards. The Legal Aid Newcomer Award exists to recognise the young legal aid lawyers aspiring to be the future leaders in this practice. Read more...
Duncan Lewis assisting the Calais Refugee Community Kitchen (11 July 2018)
On 6th May 2018, a group of legal representatives from the Duncan Lewis Luton office embarked on a journey to Calais, France, with the hope of putting our skills into action to help a charity called Refugee Community Kitchen operating on ground in Calais. Read more...
Duncan Lewis appoints Alex Peebles as Director in Public Law and Court of Protection (6 July 2018)
Duncan Lewis are very pleased to announce that Solicitor Alex Peebles has recently been appointed as a Director of Public Law and Court of Protection. Since Alex joined Duncan Lewis in April 2017, he has become a prominent presence in the legal fields of Court of Protection, Regulatory law and in Civil Liberties & Human Rights, whilst supporting the growth and development of the respective departments overall. With 10 years’ PQE in a wide range of Public Law matters, Alex is experienced in handling matters in the tax tribunal, High Court, Court of Appeal, European Court of Human Rights and Court of Protection. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors challenges the Legal Aid Agency’s rules on backdating of funding (5 July 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors have been granted permission in a claim for judicial review to challenge the lawfulness of the Civil Legal Aid (Procedure) Regulations 2012, (the Procedure Regulations), and the Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) interpretation of these regulations.The LAA’s position is that the Procedure Regulations do not allow it to make legal aid payments for work undertaken before it grants funding. The effect of this contention is that legal aid providers are not reimbursed for work properly undertaken on an emergency basis before the LAA is able to consider an application and grant funding. Another potential effect is that legal aid providers simply will not carry out this work, as they cannot be reimbursed for it by the LAA. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Public Law & Immigration Director Bahar Ata is a finalist for the Legal Expert Award at the CILEx National Awards 2018 (5 July 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors is proud to announce that Public Law and Immigration Director, Bahar Ata, has been selected as a finalist for the Legal Expert Award at the CILEx National Awards 2018. The awards ceremony will be presented on the 6th September 2018 at the stunning Underglobe, Shakespeare Globe Theatre, London. The CILEx National Awards Ceremony will showcase and celebrate the excellent work, and achievements, of CILEx members and stakeholder partners. Read more...
Senior caseworker Patrick Page speaks at Parliament following screening of ‘Calais Children: A Case to Answer’ (2 July 2018)
On 27 June, Patrick Page, a senior caseworker in the public law department at Duncan Lewis spoke at Parliament about his experience advising and assisting children in the Calais ‘Jungle’ on their applications to come to the UK under the ‘Dubs Amendment’. After the screening of ‘Calais Children: A Case to Answer’, Patrick remembered how, when he and his colleagues spent time in the Jungle, the children they spoke to were ‘trying’ every night to board lorries, risking their lives to enter the UK; some had been trying for over a year and had bruises and cuts to show for it. Conversely, when Patrick and his team returned to the UK, they were required only to show their passports to the border guards, and half an hour later they were in Dover. He concluded that until countries like the UK opened their borders, tens of thousands of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children would continue to remain in limbo, vulnerable to exploitation. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Secures Release of Client in Immigration Detention (1 July 2018)
Duncan Lewis’ Immigration team successfully secured the release of a highly vulnerable client from immigration detention Read more...
Permission to Appeal granted by Court of Appeal in TM (Kenya) (28 June 2018)
The Court of Appeal has granted permission to appeal in the case of TM (Kenya) v SSHD (C4/2017/3270), which challenges the High Court judgment in Muasa v SSHD [2017] EWHC 2267 insofar as it found against the Claimant. Read more...
Duncan Lewis 20th Anniversary Ball (27 June 2018)
We’re extremely proud to announce that Duncan Lewis has reached an important milestone as we celebrated our 20 year anniversary on Friday 11th May. The event was to commend our CEO, Shany Gupta, Managing Director, Nina Joshi and our entire workforce on reaching 20 years. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Immigration Solicitor Javeria Ijaz shortlisted for Rising Star in Law Award at 7th English Asian Business Awards 2018 (26 June 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors is proud to announce that Immigration solicitor, Javeria Ijaz, has been shortlisted for the Rising Star in Law award at the 7th English Asian Business Awards 2018. The awards ceremony will be presented on the 17th of July at the Mercure Manchester, Piccadilly Hotel, Manchester. These awards aim to celebrate and showcase the achievements of Asian men and woman who greatly contribute to their industries. Read more...
Patrick Page, senior caseworker in public law at Duncan Lewis, speaks at conferences at SOAS and at the Open University (26 June 2018)
On 19th June, Patrick Page, a Senior Caseworker in the Public Law team in Harrow spoke on the keynote panel at a SOAS conference on ‘Empathy in Practice’. He shared the panel with Juliet Mabey, the founder of Oneworld Publications, and David Francis, a PhD student at the British Museum. Patrick spoke about his work exposing the indignity of immigration detention, and criticised the lack of empathy shown by detention officers, Home Office caseworkers and national leaders towards those who are detained. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Family and Childcare team attend advice drop-in at the West Hill Children’s Centre (25 June 2018)
Once a fortnight a volunteer caseworker from our Croydon office attends the West Hill Children’s Centre for appointments with parents, carers and other individuals seeking legal advice. Read more...
Pre Issued Settlement – The Case of D (22 June 2018)
This case concerns a defendant D, who had been remanded in prison custody for 4½ months without lawful authority. D was arrested for breaching a non-molestation order, imposed by a County Court. He was taken to the Court in the custody of police officers, and appeared before a district judge without having had access to legal advice. The judge subjected him to questioning and remanded him to prison, directing that either the police or prison officers brought D back to Court in seven days to conclude his case. Neither the Court, police, or prison made arrangements to have D returned to Court. The detaining authorities then subsequently failed to review his custody, forcing D to remain in custody for 4 ½ months. Read more...
Money Laundering - The case of ‘O’ (22 June 2018)
O was charged with an offence often described as ‘money laundering’, and faced an indictment before the Woolwich Crown Court. A retrial was required, an unusual event, which can often occur where a jury remain undecided on a person’s guilt. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Welcome New Director of Family and Childcare Sara Upton (14 June 2018)
We are pleased to announce that Sara Upton has joined Duncan Lewis as a Director in the Family and Childcare department. She will supervise a team of solicitors, trainees and caseworkers alongside Director Sheena Donlon based at our office in Barnet. Read more...
Grenfell: One Year On (14 June 2018)
A year has passed since the Grenfell Tower tragedy that took the lives of 72 people and destroyed the lives of hundreds of others in what would become the UK’s worst fire disaster. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors attend tribunal verdict on Turkey and the Kurds (11 June 2018)
Members of the public law team at Duncan Lewis recently attended the reading of a verdict of the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (PPT) on Turkey and the Kurds. Delivered on 24 May in the European Parliament, the PPT found Erdogan and the Turkish state guilty of war crimes, and crimes against humanity against the Kurdish people. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Public Law Team talk at Oxford University (30 May 2018)
On 17 May, Patrick Page and Nicholas Hughes of the Harrow Public Law Team, spoke to students at Oxford University about challenging unlawful policies and practices in immigration detention. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors challenge R (Rahimi & Bahadori) v SSHD prompts new Chapter 60 removals policy (24 May 2018)
Yesterday (23rd May 2018) the Secretary of State for the Home Department (SSHD) published amendments to his removals policy (at Chapter 60 of his Enforcement Guidance and Instructions, titled ‘Judicial Review and injunctions’) in direct response to proceedings issued by Duncan Lewis Solicitors on 28th November 2017. The changes reflect concessions made in April this year by the SSHD in the course of these proceedings. Read more...
Home Office Issues New Guidance Stating That Asylum Seekers And Care Leavers Must Be Permitted To Study (10 May 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors and Garden Court Chambers represent a number of young asylum-seekers who were told by the Home Office that they cannot study. In some cases, we have obtained last minute court orders allowing individual clients to study and sit exams. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Represent Child Slavery Victim in Claim Against Home Office After Sexual Assault at Morton Hall IRC (10 May 2018)
H was trafficked to the UK from Vietnam as a child. He was taken captive in Ho Chi Minh City by his traffickers aged 15. He was tortured, raped and forced into debt bondage. He was beaten with electrified sticks and burned with heated rods. He was then trafficked to the U.K, deliberately starved, deprived of his liberty, and forced to tend cannabis plants in Derbyshire. Read more...
Ahmed Aydeed of Duncan Lewis speaks at Victims of Modern Slavery and Trafficking event at Matrix Chambers (9 May 2018)
Ahmed Aydeed, a solicitor and director at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, was invited to appear on the panel at Matrix Chambers on the 25 April 2018 to discuss modern slavery and trafficking in the UK. Read more...
Playing 2 Remember (that we’re still not very good) (9 May 2018)
The highlight of the sporting calendar has been and gone again. Duncan Lewis Solicitors participated in the London Play 2 Remember Tournament on 15 April 2018, to commemorate victims of genocide and support its survivors as well as promote togetherness through sport. Read more...
Public Law Solicitor Lewis Kett is shortlisted for Legal Aid Newcomer at the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards 2018 (3 May 2018)
Duncan Lewis is pleased to announce that Public Law Solicitor Lewis Kett has been shortlisted for Legal Aid Newcomer at the forthcoming Legal Aid Practitioners Group Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) Awards. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors Public Law Department launches ‘No Walls’ blog (2 May 2018)
The Duncan Lewis Solicitors Public Law Department has launched ‘No Walls’, an open forum dedicated to discussions on public law, human rights, immigration, and asylum. Read more...
Asylum Seekers Prohibited From Studying By New Home Office Bail Restrictions (1 May 2018)
In January, the Home Office made changes to temporary admission and immigration bail. As a result, individuals have been issued new Bail 201 forms setting out immigration bail conditions. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors client promised life-saving cancer treatment in high-profile case (25 April 2018)
On 24 April 2018, the Royal Marsden Hospital finally committed to giving Duncan Lewis’ client Albert Thompson the radiotherapy treatment that he requires to treat his prostate cancer; however the NHS Charging Regulations remain unlawful. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Shortlisted for Pro Bono Initiative of the Year at The Lawyer Awards 2018 (24 April 2018)
We are pleased to announce that Duncan Lewis has been shortlisted for Pro Bono Initiative of the Year at the 2018 Lawyer Awards! The Lawyer Awards reward best practices and celebrate excellence across the legal profession, making the awards ceremony one of the biggest nights on the legal calendar. Read more...
Duncan Lewis obtains reprieve against removal of foreign national on the basis of possible mistaken identity (17 April 2018)
Howard Cheng, Solicitor of the Immigration and Public Law departments of Duncan Lewis Solicitors, is representing a national of Somalia and has obtained a reprieve against his removal to Hargeisa, from where the Home Office claims he originates. Read more...
Court’s strict approach to FGM imposing 16 year travel ban (13 April 2018)
A recent High Court case imposed a 16 year travel ban on ‘X’, due to concerns that X is at risk of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The girl was born in 2016 to a white English mother and an Egyptian father. The father who currently resides in Egypt has been unable to join the mother and X in the UK because of issues with acquiring a visa. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors represented Diplomat’s challenge to the High Court concerning enforcement of orders in light of diplomatic immunity (12 April 2018)
The Child Care team at Duncan Lewis Solicitors represented a Diplomat who entered the UK with her children D, S, E and SL aged between 17 years and 7 years old. All the children are nationals of X. The mother is also national of country X and works as a secretary for the X High Commission. Read more...
Lawyers from Duncan Lewis Public Law Department attend tribunal on Turkey and the Kurds (12 April 2018)
A group of lawyers specialising in Public Law from Duncan Lewis Solicitors were invited to attend a session of the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal on 15 and 16 March. The tribunal looked into accusations that the Turkish state is guilty of war crimes and has engaged in state terrorism against the Kurdish people. Read more...
Further to the recent IT security incident that we have reported (29 March 2018)
As a precautionary measure; we would advise all of our clients and third parties that if you receive any request for payment via any form of electronic communications such as by email, please do not make any payments until you have spoken with your relevant Fee Earner to validate the request for payment. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Update – Injunction Obtained in Relation to Recent IT Security Incident (29 March 2018)
Further to the press release dated 28 March 2018, with reference to Duncan Lewis’ recent IT security incident, we can confirm that on 29 March 2018 we secured a High Court Injunction preventing the use of, publication, communication or disclosure to any other person of any information obtained from Duncan Lewis’ IT Systems. Read more...
Duncan Lewis IT System (23 March 2018)
Duncan Lewis IT systems were hacked on Friday 23rd March 2018. The discovery was made through the course of Friday morning and our IT Department has been liaising with external IT Forensics since this time to try and ascertain the source and nature of this compromise and impact. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors Gender Pay Announcement (22 March 2018)
The reporting of gender pay revealed the following limitations: a lack of comparison in relation to comparable job roles/title(s), furthermore, the calculations fail to take into account intangible aspects which affect salary such as qualifications, employment experience, performance and personal skills. Read more...
High Court grants permission in complex EEA unlawful detention claim (16 March 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors has been granted permission to proceed with a judicial review challenge against the on-going immigration detention of a vulnerable EEA national detainee. Due to ill health, the detainee has been recognised as an ‘adult at risk’ under the Home Office’s policy guidance. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors recognised for commitment to Pro Bono at the LexisNexis Legal Awards 2018 (16 March 2018)
We are delighted to announce that Refugee Legal Support Athens (RLS) is the winner of the Pro Bono Award at the 2018 LexisNexis Legal Awards. Duncan Lewis Solicitors are proud to be part of Refugee Legal Support Athens (RLS) and to have contributed to their success. Read more...
Duncan Lewis to challenge Home Secretary’s decision not to deport Irish nationals (15 March 2018)
Since 2012, foreign national prisoners who have been serving indeterminate sentences have been able to take advantage of the ‘TERS’ scheme (Tariff Expiry Removal Scheme). This means that most foreign nationals are eligible to be immediately deported home as soon as they complete their tariff, and no longer have to go through the parole process. The scheme is good news for anyone wanting to go home and not have to endure the parole process which has experienced significant delays in recent years. It is particularly beneficial to any foreign national prisoner serving an imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence and ultimately stagnating as they struggle to get access to rehabilitation courses in order to progress. The TERS scheme is in theory open to all foreign nationals. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Free Weekly Advice Clinic continues to provide legal support in Dalston East London (14 March 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors offer a free weekly legal surgery from their Dalston East London office, every Tuesday evening from 17:00 – 19:30. Set up in 2009 by two senior colleagues, the Tuesday evening pro bono Surgery has been able to help the most vulnerable in local communities to access justice when they cannot afford it. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors launches a High Court challenge into the inadequacy of initial health screenings in Immigration Removal Centres (13 March 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors have launched a High Court challenge, on behalf of our client, into the inadequacy of initial health screenings in Immigration Removal Centres, and failures in the Rule 34 and 35 processes. Read more...
Our Immigration Trainee Solicitor Lavinia Wasserman received True Honours Award nomination for her work to end ‘honour’ based violence (13 March 2018)
We are pleased to announce that Immigration Trainee Solicitor Lavinia Wasserman was a finalist at the Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation (IKWRO) True Honours Awards 2018. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors: Statement of Apology (22 February 2018)
We recently represented ‘SB’ in his immigration related Court of Appeal matter. We wish to apologise for misrepresenting the facts in SB, this is a case of a last minute attempt to prevent a young man, ‘SB’, from being returned to Afghanistan. While, as the Court of Appeal clarifies, we made these representations ‘honestly and in good faith’, we accept unreservedly the criticism of the judges in this case. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors welcomes Senior Housing Solicitor Ossie Sandalon (21 February 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors are pleased to welcome our new Senior Housing Solicitor Ossie Sandalon to the firm. Ossie Sandalon will be joining the Housing department lead by Housing Director Dianne Cowie at our Croydon office. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors hires two new Directors - Khadijah Khan and Chinedu Orogbu (7 February 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors are pleased to welcome two new Directors to the firm. Khadijah Khan will supervise a team of solicitors and caseworkers within the Litigation department based in Harrow, whilst Chinedu Orogbu will lead in supervising the Housing team at our Dalston office. Read more...
Afghan Child Represented by Duncan Lewis Solicitors Challenges Home Office on ‘Dubs Amendment’: High Court hearing 28 February and 1 March 2018 (7 February 2018)
The Public Law team at Duncan Lewis Solicitors are representing an Afghan minor, who lived in the Calais ‘Jungle’, in bringing a challenge against the Secretary of State for the Home Department for failing in her duties under the ‘Dubs Amendment’. The case is due to be heard in the High Court on 28 February and 1 March. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Public Law Director Ahmed Aydeed shortlisted for Partner of the Year in the Birmingham Law Society Legal Awards 2018 (5 February 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors are pleased to congratulate Public Law Director, Ahmed Aydeed as he is named a finalist in the Birmingham Law Society Awards 2018 for Partner of the Year. Since becoming a Director in Duncan Lewis’ Birmingham branch in 2017, Ahmed has proven to be a dedicated and integral leader in the department of Public Law, as recognised in this nomination. Read more...
High Court rules in favour of Duncan Lewis Solicitors challenge to the Home Office’s “lock-in” regime in Brook House IRC (5 February 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Public Law team led a challenge against the Home Office on behalf of two former-detainees, which on 1 February 2018 the High Court ruled in favour of, forcing the Home Office to take responsibility for the unlawful conditions within detention centre Brook House. Read more...
Home Secretary May Be Found to Have Breached Smoking Ban and Discriminated against Muslim detainees in High Court ruling on Conditions at Brook House IRC (31 January 2018)
The High Court judgment, on conditions in immigration detention, is due to be handed down tomorrow, 1 February 2018, at the Royal Court of Justice (court 49). The ruling will discuss whether the Home Office has illegally allowed the smoking ban to be contravened in detention centres. The court will also make a finding on whether the lock-in regime at Brook House IRC, which forces detainees to be locked into their cells for up to 13 hours a day, discriminates against Muslim detainees who are forced to pray next to an open toilet in potentially unsanitary conditions. The challenge was brought by the public law team of Duncan Lewis Solicitors, on behalf of clients detained at Brook House IRC. The cases were heard in the High Court on 23 - 24 January 2018. Read more...
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)
This month Duncan Lewis Solicitors have launched a High Court challenge, on behalf of our client, into the Home Secretary’s failure to instigate a public inquiry into serious and systemic abuse of detainees by G4S staff at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Immigration Solicitor Javeria Ijaz is a Finalist for Services to Law at the British Muslim Awards 2018 (25 January 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors is proud to announce that Immigration solicitor, Javeria Ijaz, has been shortlisted as a finalist for the award for Services to Law at the British Muslim Awards 2018. The awards ceremony will be presented by Al Rayan Bank on 31st January 2018 at the Bradford Hotel in Bradford. These awards aim to acknowledge and honour British Muslims across the UK whose achievements set them out as the best in their industry. Read more...
RLS-Athens legal advice clinic supported by Duncan Lewis Solicitors shortlisted for LexisNexis Pro Bono Award alongside Duncan Lewis Pro Bono Committee (24 January 2018)
Duncan Lewis would like to congratulate The RLS-Athens Project for being shortlisted in the LexisNexis Awards 2018 Pro Bono category, alongside Duncan Lewis’ Pro Bono Committee. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Croydon Housing Department to Hold Fortnightly Pro Bono Advice Clinic from January 22nd 2018 (19 January 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors are pleased to announce that its Housing Department based in Croydon will be working in conjunction with Citizens Advice Merton and Lambeth to offer fortnightly pro bono advice to those requiring assistance with a wide range of housing related matters. Read more...
R (on the application of SB and Duncan Lewis) Vs Director of the Legal Aid Agency and the Lord Chancellor (12 January 2018)
Duncan Lewis filed a judicial review claim in the Administrative Court to challenge the failure of the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) to backdate funding for urgent work properly undertaken. The LAA granted funding on 14 September 2017, which was made available from that date, but the LAA failed to backdate that funding to extend from the date of the initial application made on 12 September 2017. Read more...
Tamana Aziz joins Legal 500 recommended firm Duncan Lewis Solicitors as new Director of Immigration (8 January 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors are pleased to announce the recent appointment of Tamana Aziz as a Director of Immigration. She is also based in Harrow and she will work alongside Vicash Ramkissoon, Zofia Duszynska, Neelam Bangar and Rohena Wallace in leading our Harrow based Immigration team. Read more...
Legal 500 Recommended National Law Firm Duncan Lewis Hires New Crime Director Nicholas De Freitas (8 January 2018)
Duncan Lewis Solicitors is excited to welcome new Crime Director Nicholas De Freitas, he will be based in the company’s Harrow branch. With 10 years legal experience, Nicolas joins Duncan Lewis from Noble Solicitors as a well-established Criminal Defence solicitor, supervising Harrow’s team of crime caseworkers and solicitors, alongside Crime Director Rubin Italia and Hardeep Dhaliwal. Read more...
Duncan Lewis Islamic Family Law Specialist Aina Khan awarded OBE (2 January 2018)
With great pleasure we wish to congratulate Aina Khan, Duncan Lewis Solicitors’ Islamic Family Law specialist, for her outstanding work which has seen her receive an Order of the British Empire (OBE) award for her service to the protection of women and children in unregistered marriages. Read more...