The Court of Appeal has suspended the controversial detained fast-track (DFT) system which keeps asylum seekers in detention while legal hearings and appeals take place.
The High Court ruled the process unlawful on 12 June, in Detention Action v First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) & Ors [2015] EWHC 1689 (Admin), but stayed the decision pending a ruling by the Court of Appeal. Mr Justice Nicol found that the fast track rules “incorporate structural unfairness” and “put the appellant at a serious procedural disadvantage” due to the “abbreviated timetable and curtailed case management powers”.
Ruling at the Court of Appeal last week, Lord Justice Sullivan quashed the stay and held DFT must end immediately because if cases continued to be dealt with by the system, they could end up needing to be heard again, which would be a “very horrible waste of money”.
