Updates, commentary, training and advice on immigration and asylum law

Former immigration lawyer named Attorney General

THANKS FOR READING

Older content is locked

A great deal of time and effort goes into producing the information on Free Movement, become a member of Free Movement to get unlimited access to all articles, and much, much more

TAKE FREE MOVEMENT FURTHER

By becoming a member of Free Movement, you not only support the hard-work that goes into maintaining the website, but get access to premium features;

  • Single login for personal use
  • FREE downloads of Free Movement ebooks
  • Access to all Free Movement blog content
  • Access to all our online training materials
  • Access to our busy forums
  • Downloadable CPD certificates

Suella Braverman was appointed Attorney General today, replacing Geoffrey Cox QC. She is only the second woman to become the government’s chief legal adviser. The role also involves oversight of the Crown Prosecution Service and Government Legal Department.

Braverman’s appointment is being seen as a sign of the government’s intent to muzzle the judiciary. The former barrister wrote an article only weeks ago arguing that “repatriated powers from the EU will mean precious little if our courts continue to act as political decision-maker, pronouncing on what the law ought to be and supplanting Parliament”.

That said, Cox spent his final day in office bemoaning the “judicialisation of politics”, so Braverman’s appointment is not necessarily a radical departure.

Braverman studied law at Queens’ College, Cambridge and the University of Paris 1, Pantheon-Sorbonne. That elite education would have been good preparation for the most challenging field of law around: in 2016, she told the BBC “before I was an MP, I was a lawyer specialising in immigration law”.

Fighting for the rights of migrants? Hardly. The only immigration-related experience that Braverman advertises on her No5 Chambers profile — under her maiden name of Fernandes — is on the Home Office side. Her work included defending the government against judicial review and unlawful detention claims. 

It’s safe to say that not everybody is a fan:

Relevant articles chosen for you
Picture of CJ McKinney

CJ McKinney

CJ McKinney is a specialist on immigration law and policy. Formerly the editor of Free Movement, you will find a lot of articles by CJ here on this website! Twitter: @mckinneytweets.

Comments