Another essential seminar for all immigration lawyers and concerned practitioners, here Anthony Metzer QC and Emma Harris discuss Hamid Courts, offering advice on how to avoid them, including personal experience from Anthony from a case he was involved in. This seminar is more vital than ever in light of recent government asylum policy decisions. In detail, the presentation looks at: 

• Circumstances in which Hamid Courts are likely to be convened against legal practitioners  
• Process that has been developed by the Administrative Court for dealing with these cases
• Best practice in order to reduce the risk of becoming involved in a Hamid Court hearing, with a particular focus on urgent injunctions
• Tips on dealing with the situation, with reference to a recent case in which Anthony Metzer QC appeared
• Urgent Injunctions
• When Hamid Courts can’t be avoided
• Responding to a show cause notice

Relevant law

R (Hamid) v SSHD [2012] EWHC 3070 (Admin)

R (Awuku & Ors) v SSHD [2012] EWHC 3298 (Admin)

R (Awuku (No 2) & Ors) v SSHD [2012] EWHC 3690 (Admin)  

R (B & Anor) v SSHD [2012] EWHC 3770 (Admin)

R (Okondu and Abdussalam) v SSHD (wasted costs; SRA referrals; Hamid) IJR [2014] UKUT 377 (IAC)

Re Sandbrook Solicitors [2015] EWHC 2473 (Admin)

R (Hoxha) (Representatives: Professional Duties) v SSHD [2019] UKUT 124 (IAC)

R (DVP & Others) v SSHD [2021] EWHC 606 (Admin)

R (Shrestha) v SSHD (Hamid jurisdiction: nature and purposes) [2018] UKUT 242 (IAC

R (Wingfield) v Canterbury City Council [2020] EWCA Civ 1588:

Gubarev v Orbis Business Intelligence Ltd [2020] EWHC 2167 (QB):  

R (Sathivel) v SSHD [2018] EWHC 913 (Admin)

Anthony Metzer QC is a highly regarded silk known for his committed and forensically detailed approach to his practice. He specialises in crime, immigration, claimant civil actions against the police, defamation and inquests.

Anthony has been instructed on some of the most influential cases in recent years, including Banger v UK.

He sits as a Deputy High Court Judge for England and Wales in the Administrative Court hearing Judicial Review applications, and in the Upper Tier Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Tribunal, having previously sat as a First Tier Judge in the IAT since 2002. He was also appointed to the War Pensions and Armed Forces Tribunal as a First Tier Judge.

Anthony is highly recommended as a leading silk again in Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500.

Emma has a mixed practice which spans the areas of immigration, refugee and asylum, public law and a number of different areas within civil law.  She advises on complex legal issues and routinely appears in the First-Tier and Upper Tribunals on appeals and in public law proceedings. She is also increasingly instructed in cases progressing to the Court of Appeal. Emma provides advice and drafts grounds of appeal at all levels. Emma has also assisted clients involved in age disputes and those who have been victims of trafficking and/or modern slavery.

In immigration law more generally Emma assists and advises on applications within the Points Based System, drafts applications for administrative review and appears regularly in appeals on Article 8 and EEA matters.

Emma has a particular passion for nationality law and has experience in advising as well as representing on public law nationality and statelessness matters. Emma has helped to set up a new Windrush legal clinic and has been advising and assisting people on a pro bono basis where they have been affected by the Windrush Scandal on the question of immigration status, nationality and the availability of compensation.