Important grant of permission from the Court of Appeal in six linked cases addressing issues arising from D and N cases at Strasbourg and subsequent treatment by the UK courts. For some legal background see this earlier blog post. In granting permission Maurice Kay LJ says:

I have indicated that I propose to grant permission to appeal in this case. I do so for a number of reasons. The first is that I accept the submissions on behalf of the applicants that there are arguable issues as to the precise scope of D and N, given the factual circumstances in which those decisions were made. They concern effectively illegal entrants who can properly be described as “health tourists”. None of these six applicants falls into that category, although BA has never enjoyed lawful status in this country.

The second point is that not only are there features in the cases such as lawful residence prior to diagnosis and treatment, or long and mainly lawful residence, there is room for clarification of the criterion of exceptionality which derives from D and N. For example, virtually certain death within two weeks on return following a period of lawful and sometimes lengthy residence in this country may be susceptible to accommodation within exceptionality. It may be that Lady Hale’s judgment in N permits such an approach. In any event it seems to me that there is room for a decision providing clarification.

My colleague Rebecca Chapman is acting for one of the appellants and Duran Seddon for another.