Refugee groups condemn Tory plan to remove judges from asylum appeals

Conservatives accused of attack on ‘crucial safeguards’ and of fostering ‘climate of hostility’ towards judiciary

Refugee groups and lawyers have described Conservative proposals to strip judges of their powers to rule on asylum seekers’ appeals against deportations as “an attack on the concept of justice and equality under the law”.

In a speech on Tuesday, Chris Philp , the shadow home secretary, said a Conservative government would quit the European convention on human rights (ECHR) and abolish the judicial tribunal system that claimants use to appeal against their removal.

Immigration decisions would instead be made by the Home Office, Philp said, which would allow migrants a quick internal appeal. The Conservatives would also scrap legal aid for all immigration cases, he said.

The policy has dismayed human rights advocates and lawyers. Sile Reynolds, the head of asylum advocacy at Freedom from Torture, said: “Philp’s proposals are nothing short of an attack on the concept of justice and equality under the law.

“For [survivors of torture] and all those seeking protection, the consequences of a wrong decision can be fatal. The independent appeal process and access to effective legal advice are crucial safeguards that stop the government wrongly sending them back into the hands of their torturers.”

Imran Hussain, the director of external affairs at the Refugee Council, said the proposals would remove democratic safeguards. “No British government should be free to mark its own homework when it comes to people questioning unlawful actions,” he said.

Mark Evans, the president of the Law Society of England and Wales, said scrapping immigration tribunals would remove all independent oversight. “This right is central to our justice system and essential for those of us seeking safety. Judges can only act within the law and to accuse them of bias when they cannot respond is damaging and unfair,” he said.