Refugee groups condemn Tory plan to remove judges from asylum appeals

Conservatives accused of attack on ‘crucial safeguards’ and of fostering ‘climate of hostility’ towards judiciary Refugee groups and lawyers have described Conservative proposals to strip judges of their powers to rule on asylum seekers’ appeals against deportations as “an attack on the concept of justice and equality under the law”. In a speech on Tuesday, Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said a Conservative government would quit the European convention on human rights (ECHR) and abolish the judicial tribunal system that claimants use to appeal against their removal. Immigration decisions would instead be made by the Home Office, Philp said, which would allow migrants a quick internal appeal. The Conservatives would also scrap legal aid for all immigration cases, he said. The policy has dismayed human rights advocates and lawyers. Sile Reynolds, the head of asylum advocacy at Freedom from Torture, said: “Philp’s proposals are nothing short of an attack on the concept of justice and equality under the law. “For [survivors of torture] and all those seeking protection, the consequences of a wrong decision can be fatal. The independent appeal process and access to effective leg