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Josie Fathers

@josie-f.bsky.social
136 followers 637 following 3 posts

Barrister. Human rights, immigration and public law. Any views expressed are mine.

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Reposted by Josie Fathers
George E. Osborn @georgeosborn.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I think we're at the point where we can incredibly comfortably say that your attitude towards Reform, Restore, MAGA, the AfD etc is how you'd have responded to fascism in the 1930s
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Kevin Smith @kevinjgsmith.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Climate emergency cancels Reform's "cancel the climate emergency" meeting - council members were due to vote on Thurs on a Reform motion to rescind the climate emergency.
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Colin Yeo @colinyeo.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
It's no surprise the government wants to take drastic action on asylum appeals. Replacing the existing tribunal with a new body isn't a good answer in my view, though. The Home Office bears a heavy responsibility for inefficiency in the existing system.
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Colin Yeo @colinyeo.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
The asylum appeal backlog has hit 80,000 cases. This chart, which includes asylum appeals lodged and asylum appeals disposed of, shows what kind of trouble the immigration tribunal is in. www.gov.uk/government/s...
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The Empty City @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 29/12/2025
The revocation of citizenship is a fundamental and brutal discretionary power of the state. One of the more depressing themes in recent judgments is how the courts nod-along and shrug when faced with this brute exercise of fundamental power, rather than subjecting this power to anxious scrutiny.
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Alasdair Mackenzie @alasdairmackenzie.bsky.social · 29/12/2025
Don’t know exactly what this guy said and obviously wouldn’t take the Tories as a reliable source, but fundamentally we should push back at the idea that being extracted from an Egyptian torture prison is dependent on having behaved nicely on social media
bbc.co.uk
Egyptian dissident should be deported from UK, say Tories
Alaa Abdel Fattah flew to the UK on Friday after a travel ban imposed by Cairo was lifted.
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Colin Murray @colinmurray.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
*Stares from the part of the UK in which jury trials were ditched in very many serious cases half a century ago*
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The Secret Barrister @barristersecret.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
Imagine coming up with a proposal so stupid, so unworkable, so thoughtless, that it makes Robert Jenrick look sane by comparison. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Jury trials could be scrapped except in most serious cases
Only cases of alleged murder, rape or manslaughter will be decided by a jury under new proposals to cut court backlogs.
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The Bar Council @thebarcouncil.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
Politically motivated attacks on the legal profession are irresponsible and dangerous. Legal organisations representing 250,000 lawyers have come together to express grave concern. Read the statement www.barcouncil.org.uk/resource/vil... Read the news www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
Press cutting of the printed version of the story
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Garden Court Chambers @gardencourtlaw.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
Recent media commentary has focused on members of Garden Court Chambers and others who sit as part-time judges. This is Garden Court's statement 👇 gardencourtchambers.co.uk/garden-court... #RuleofLaw #Judicialindependence #SeparationOfPowers #Constitution www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
gardencourtchambers.co.uk
Garden Court statement: media commentary on part-time judges | Garden Court Chambers
Garden Court Chambers is aware of press and social media commentary focused on members of Garden Court Chambers and others who sit as part- time judges.
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Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 10/10/2025
superb - Robert Jenrick is supporting the case of asylum seeker, who is appealing against a public order conviction, using the ECHR bsky.app/profile/rola...
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The Observer @theobserveruk.bsky.social · 05/10/2025
"The overwhelming majority of asylum seekers want to share in our standards and escape from persecution or civil war. To describe them as thieves or rapists is not just dishonest but encourages the worst sort of prejudice in our communities," writes Michael Heseltine. bit.ly/4mUIeM
bit.ly
The Conservatives must never have any part in Farage’s po...
To describe asylum seekers as thieves or rapists encourages the worst sort of prejudice. We don’t need Trump’s mouthpiece anywhere near No 10
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Alasdair Mackenzie @alasdairmackenzie.bsky.social · 21/09/2025
Note how we’ve moved from concerns about people arriving irregularly in small boats to wrecking the lives of people who are by definition here entirely lawfully
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Bail for Immigration Detainees @biddetention.bsky.social · 10/09/2025
🚨 Raise the alarm: While the Rwanda policy drew outrage, a new wave of harmful immigration policies is going under the radar. Detention + deportation changes are deeply damaging, and we’re urgently fundraising to provide free legal support. Read more & donate: www.biduk.org/articles/rai...
biduk.org
Raise the alarm: Five changes to immigration policy you need to know about
From asylum seeker deportations to new detention centres, swipe to read about the latest changes and how you can help.
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Colin Murray @colinmurray.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
Much of the furore around the use of Article 8 ECHR in immigration cases is manufactured, as @alicedonald.bsky.social and co-authors highlight in this new, must-read report. The problem has been supercharged since Leveson LJ identified it a decade ago: www.law.ox.ac.uk/sites/defaul...
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Bonavero Institute of Human Rights @bonavero.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
A new report from the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights at the University of Oxford examines how the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is represented in the UK media 📄 Read more 👇 www.law.ox.ac.uk/echr @ox.ac.uk @oxfordlawfac.bsky.social
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Paolo Sandro @paolosandro.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
'Analysis revealed frequent misreporting of immigration tribunal cases, as well as mischaracterisations of the UK’s system of immigration appeals and the role played by the ECHR in this context.'
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Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year awards @lalyawards.bsky.social · 04/07/2025
The #LALY25 judges award for ⭐️⭐️Outstanding Achievement ⭐️⭐️- sponsored by Matrix Chambers – goes to Stephanie Harrison KC @gardencourtlaw gardencourtchambers.co.uk/barrister/st... She starts by thanking the crowd and the awards, saying this is the award that matters most
gardencourtchambers.co.uk
Stephanie Harrison KC | Garden Court Chambers
Stephanie Harrison KC is a leading public law barrister. Her multi-disciplinary practice spans the breadth of public law and civil liberties and includes cases arising from unlawful detention, nationa...
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Josie Fathers @josie-f.bsky.social · 17/05/2025
@stolenride.bsky.social my partner’s bike was stolen between 8-10pm this evening outside Westfield (1 Endeavour Square) - photo of bike below
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Colin Yeo @colinyeo.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
I'm proud to be a member of @gardencourtlaw.bsky.social alongside some incredibly talented and dedicated barristers. But it is wrong and it undermines the rule of law to attack a set of chambers for the clients some members represent.
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Colin Yeo @colinyeo.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
As you might have guessed, the article is actually an attempted hit job on us collectively. There's a serious point here, made very well by @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social in this article: open.substack.com/pub/rozenber...
open.substack.com
A cell of left-wing activists?
Or a group of professionals representing their clients
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Colin Yeo @colinyeo.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
The Spectator on @gardencourtlaw.bsky.social: '…lawyers of undoubted intellect and skill…’ ‘…idealists, gifted advocates and politically passionate…’ ‘…radically effective…’ ‘…no doubting the skill or zeal…’ ‘…Garden Court racks up victories…’ www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-...
spectator.co.uk
The radical barristers who really lay down the law in Britain
The facade of Garden Court Chambers in Lincoln’s Inn Fields is reassuringly traditional. The barristers who work there occupy buildings which were once home to the Earl of Sandwich and the Tory prime ...
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Jennifer Blair @squeakinglyjen.bsky.social · 23/04/2025
6) the wider context of the Tories doxxing immigration lawyers is a backhanded swipe at Starmer (a lawyer) and the kind of far right populist bullying that has already led to attempts to kill and maim immigration lawyers and asylum seekers. Jenrick should be ashamed of himself.
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Jennifer Blair @squeakinglyjen.bsky.social · 23/04/2025
5) I am not personally close friends with Greg or anything, but you can't be an immigration lawyer and not know of the absolutely sterling high quality of his work and of his generosity with his time and skills. He is funny and acerbic and he is a role model for many.
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Jennifer Blair @squeakinglyjen.bsky.social · 23/04/2025
4) For someone like Greg, being a part time judge is a form of public service. He's earning less than he might doing other work when he's sitting as a judge, but when top lawyers sit as judges we are lucky to have their expertise contributing to the protection and development of the law.
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Jennifer Blair @squeakinglyjen.bsky.social · 23/04/2025
3) Judges are recruited from a wide cross section of society. There are immigration judges who were Home Office employees before they became judges and there are immigration judges who have only represented individual immigration claimants in the past. That doesn't mean they won't apply the law.
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Jennifer Blair @squeakinglyjen.bsky.social · 23/04/2025
2) When a lawyer becomes a judge they are from then on expected to present appropriately in their public communications. But that doesn't mean they can never in their lives have expressed a political opinion. Greg only recently became a judge and these tweets are more than 10 years old mostly.
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Jennifer Blair @squeakinglyjen.bsky.social · 23/04/2025
1) When politicians and the media pick on judges like this it is simply bullying, because the judge is not permitted to respond or defend themselves. If Greg (an exceptionally bright, articulate and generous-spirited lawyer) could he would *wipe the floor* with a disingenuous weasel like Jenrick.
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Jennifer Blair @squeakinglyjen.bsky.social · 23/04/2025
I have seen that Jenrick, the Times and Daily Mail have been targeting expert immigration lawyer Greg Ó Ceallaigh KC, who is also a part time immigration judge (a deputy Upper Tribunal judge). A couple of quick points about the misinformation involved in this.
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Alasdair Mackenzie @alasdairmackenzie.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
“There are clear choices facing our profession. We can choose to remain silent and allow these acts to continue or we can stand for the rule of law and the values we hold dear. We call upon the entire profession, including lawyers who serve in elected positions, to speak out against intimidation.”
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Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC @caoilfhionn.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
Thank you @aoifenolan.bsky.social & everyone who sent such lovely, supportive messages this morning following this @theguardian.com piece. The ultimate target of these vile tactics is one man: our client, #JimmyLai. We’re not letting these threats silence us. And we hope others will speak out, too.
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Alasdair Mackenzie @alasdairmackenzie.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
Solidarity with my excellent and brave @doughtystreet.bsky.social colleagues @caoilfhionn.bsky.social , Tatyana Eatwell, Jonathan Price & Jen Robinson in the face of this appalling and disgusting intimidation by the Chinese government
theguardian.com
UK-based lawyers for Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai targeted by Chinese state
Exclusive: Barristers at Doughty Street Chambers say they have been subject to surveillance, hacking and rape threats
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Colin Yeo @colinyeo.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
From yesterday: Court finds neo-Nazi planned terrorist attack at immigration law firm | Colin Yeo freemovement.org.uk/court-finds-neo……
buff.ly
Court finds neo-Nazi planned terrorist attack at immigration law firm - Free Movement
Cavan Medlock has been found by a court to have prepared a terrorist attack at Duncan Lewis, an immigration law firm, after reading an attack article in the
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Jonathan Jones @sirjjkc.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
Pointless, ineffective, cruel, legally offensive - and hugely expensive
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Gemma Abbott @gemabbott.bsky.social · 29/11/2024
If you want to know how your MP voted in the #AssistedDying debate, you can see here👇 votes.parliament.uk/votes/common...
votes.parliament.uk
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Second Reading - Commons' votes in Parliament - UK Parliament
Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: Second Reading
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Natalie Sedacca @nataliesedacca.bsky.social · 24/11/2024
Interesting letter in support of the Assisted Dying Bill , including noting in relation to the ‘slippery slope’ argument that both domestic courts and the ECHR have been reluctant to intervene in this area
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Marie Le Conte @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com · 24/11/2024
this is very good
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Lewis Goodall @lewisgoodall.com · 24/11/2024
Can never understand the logic of "slippery slope" arguments when we have a system where the House of Commons decides nearly everything. It's only a slippery slope if in the future the Commons changes its mind on something- which guess what, it can do at any time.
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David Challen @davidchallen.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
Gisèle Pelicot addressing her choice to keep the surname "Pelicot": "When the trial began, my children were 'ashamed' of the name. I have grandchildren called that. I want them proud. My name is known worldwide now. They shouldn't be ashamed. Today we will remember Gisèle Pelicot." What a woman.
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Nicola Kelly @nicolakellywrites.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
'Anywhere But Here' is now available to pre-order on Kindle, too. amzn.eu/d/cJVl80J
amzn.eu
Anywhere But Here: How Britain's Broken Asylum System Fails Us All eBook : Kelly, Nicola: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
Anywhere But Here: How Britain's Broken Asylum System Fails Us All eBook : Kelly, Nicola: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
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Josie Fathers @josie-f.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
The grass is green and the sky is blue over here
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Chris Bertram @crookedfootball.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
People get recognized as refugees, but far from supporting them properly (as per its international obligations) government dumps them out of the asylum support system to, well, nowhere. A shameful piece of neglect.
theguardian.com
UK charity declares ‘refugee homelessness emergency’ as numbers hit record high
Naccom report says gaps in state support have led to more than 1,940 refugees having no accommodation
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Susie Dent @susiedentwords.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
Word of the Day, should you need it, is ‘latibulate’, a 17th-century verb meaning to find a corner somewhere and hide in it.
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