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Public law solicitor Sophie Lucas has been named the Times newspaper’s Lawyer of the Week following the Court of Appeal’s ruling that the Government’s Rwanda deportation plan is unlawful. Sophie has been leading the line on the challenge to the UK Government's policy of deporting migrants to the central African country. The Court of Appeal ruled on Thursday, June 29, that deficiencies in the Rwandan asylum system meant there was a risk that asylum seekers sent there would face inhumane treatment. It concluded that Rwanda was not a “safe third country”. The ruling followed a four-day hearing in April appealing a High Court judgment in December that it was lawful to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. Duncan Lewis Solicitors' public law team fought against the UK Government's £140 million scheme, which aimed to deport asylum-seekers to Rwanda for processing their claims. This year-long battle involved challenging the government on behalf of several clients who were scheduled for removal on the first flight in June 2022. The public law team were also responsible for obtaining the interim measure from the ECtHR that had the effect of grounding that flight. The Court of Appeal handed down the latest judgment on June 29, 2023. The court ruled that removing individuals to Rwanda would violate Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. By a majority of two to one, the court deemed the plan unlawful. The landmark decision represents a major triumph for the protection of human rights of asylum-seekers. Sophie Lucas is a solicitor in the trailblazing public law team at Duncan Lewis Solicitors. Sophie has a growing reputation for tenaciously challenging the wrongful decisions of Government on behalf of clients in the full range of public law and humans rights cases, including bringing high-profile judicial review claims on behalf of charities, other NGOs and individuals. She also has conduct of a broad range of immigration cases on behalf of asylum seekers and victims of trafficking, including appeals before the First tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal. Along with the Rwanda challenge, Sophie won numerous successful cases for her clients, including forcing the Government to withdraw its controversial policy, which have seen Border Force officials forcing back migrant boats in the Channel. In her Lawyer of the Week feature in the Times, Sophie discusses he biggest challenges in the Rwanda case, her inspirations and the best things about being a lawyer. Read the full interview here Sophie Lucas – Lawyer of the Week (subscription required). For advice in relation to any public law matter contact sophiel@duncanlewis.com or via telephone on 020 3114 1102.