Judicial Profiles - Asylum and Immigration Judges
The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) hears appeals against decisions made by the Home Secretary and his officials in asylum, immigration and nationality matters.
Appeals are heard by one or more Immigration Judges in hearing centres across the United Kingdom.
Judges hear and determine appeals within set time limits and are responsible for delivering a fair, fast and effective appeal mechanism.
The main types of appeal are made against decisions to:
- refuse a person political asylum in the UK
- refuse a person entry to, or leave to remain in, the UK for permanent settlement
- deport someone already in the UK
- refuse a person entry to the UK for a family visit
Appointment
President and Deputy Presidents
The President is the Head of the Tribunal and has two Deputy Presidents. The President is a High Court Judge. His Deputy Presidents are appointed from among the Senior Immigration Judges, with one focusing on administrative matters, and the other on the law and country guidance.
Immigration Judges & Senior Immigration Judges
Immigration Judges are lawyers (barristers, solicitors, or legal academics). They are not always originally immigration lawyers, but will have shown that they are able to learn this complex and challenging type of law. It involves -
- Applying international human rights and refugee law,
- Keeping up with the case law,
- Working with interpreters (the appellants often do not speak English),
- Evaluating medical and other expert evidence,
- Becoming familiar with country conditions all over the world, and the political and other problems in those countries.
Some Immigration Judges are salaried, and some are fee-paid and still practise as barristers or solicitors. For most, it will be their first judicial appointment.
Senior Immigration Judges have usually served as Immigration Judges first and have a judicial leadership rôle within the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal, under the guidance of the President and Deputy Presidents.
They are in two groups; nine of them manage the nine regional offices. The other Senior Immigration Judges focus on the law; their published decisions give guidance for all the Immigration Judges on legal points or on country conditions in the countries from which asylum seekers come.
They also, acting on behalf of the High Court, reconsider decisions which have been challenged by the parties, and decide whether permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal should be given from the decisions of Immigration Judges and Senior Immigration Judges.
Designated Immigration Judges
Designated Immigration Judges work with teams of Immigration Judges to assist Senior Immigration Judges to maintain the quality of decisions and in the management of the hearing centres.
Court Dress
All Asylum and Immigration Tribunal Judges (the Presdient, the Deputy Presidents, the Senior Immigration Judges and the Immigration Judges) wear suits or other business dress in their courts.