Tribunal Fees Consultation

Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL) has responded to the Ministry of Justice Consultation on Tribunal Fees in the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) and the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chambers) – you can read our full response here. The consultation is available to read here. The government proposes to charge fees in these tribunals “at full cost recovery levels” by increasing the fees charged in the First-tier Tribunal and introducing fees for permission to appeal applications and for appeals heard in the Upper Tribunal.

In our response, YLAL opposed the proposals and expressed grave concerns about the potential effect the proposed changes will have on access to justice and the rule of law. We believe this is particularly important in light of the vulnerability of the groups of persons who risk being particularly affected by the proposed changes. YLAL considers that the proposals create a significant and unmanaged risk that vulnerable appellants will be denied access to justice in breach of their human rights. We question the evidential basis and reasoning put forward by the MoJ. We consider that the proposals are contrary to the rule of law.

YLAL also endorses the response to the consultation by the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA).