High Court suspends the removal windows policy

At a hearing in the Administrative Court this afternoon, Mr Justice Walker granted Medical Justice an interim injunction immediately suspending the removal windows policy pending a hearing of its judicial review challenge to the policy, which will be heard in June or July 2019.

This means that the removal windows and limited notice of removal policies have been suspended with immediate effect pending the outcome of the JR and the SSHD must give notice of removal directions (with the appropriate notice period) in all cases.

The Strategic Legal Fund has been supporting Medical Justice’s solicitors Public Law Project with their work to challenge the removal windows policy since 2014 (funds granted in November 2014, July 2016 and March 2017 and July 2018).

The case is R(Medical Justice) v SSHD – CO/543/2019. Medical Justice brought the challenge. Public Law Project are its solicitors. Counsel was Charlotte Kilroy QC (Doughty Street) and Alison Pickup (Public Law Project)