Regulations that threaten access to justice to be revoked

We are thrilled to report that the government has conceded that the new “fixed fees” for asylum and immigration legal aid work are unlawful. It will revoke the fixed fees regulations and put transitional measures in place to pay practitioners for the time they actually spend on cases while a proper consultation is undertaken. 

This is a hugely important win for access to justice and follows a series of important legal challenges.

YLAL was deeply concerned that the new fixed fees would mean that vulnerable migrants and asylum seekers with complex cases would be unable to access legally aided immigration legal advice and representation.

In response to the new regulations, we launched our #APrayerForLegalAid campaign. As part of our campaign, our members stepped up in extraordinary fashion and contacted their local MPs to call on them to support our prayer/fatal motion. This secured the support of 130 MPs from six parties and put significant pressure on the government. 

We also worked with the anti-trafficking sector to produce a major report that was important evidence in the litigation that forced the government’s hand. YLAL congratulates the legal teams for their successful challenges.  

You can find YLAL’s full press release statement here.