Amanda Jones, instructed by Bhogal Partners, drafted a judicial review on behalf of a British citizen of Somali origin. Having arrived in the UK over 25 years ago, and been naturalised 16 years ago, the Claimant had lived, worked, paid taxes and brought up three sons as a widowed single mother in the United Kingdom.
The Secretary of State for the Home Department and/or the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (it has never been made clear who was responsible) caused the Claimant’s passport to be confiscated when she was trying to board a flight in Ethiopia to return to her home and job in London.
That was late in January 2020. Having applied for judicial review of the decision to confiscate her passport and therefore deny her her legal right to enter the UK as a British citizen, the judicial review was filed and served on 31st January 2020 with an application for interim relief to bring the Claimant home. The matter was listed for an interim remedy hearing on 4th February 2020. Shortly before the hearing, both Defendants announced that they would not attend the hearing and therefore did not oppose the interim application being granted. The High Court therefore made an order that the Claimant have her passport returned to her forthwith and in any event by 6th February 2020 so that she can return home. Costs were awarded against both Defendants and the matter of damages has been put off for consideration in the Queen’s Bench Division.