A DIY approach is difficult in immigration law. Hardly a year goes by without the higher courts complaining about “a degree of complexity which even the Byzantine emperors would have envied” [as lamented by Jackson LJ in 2013]. This is even more of a problem as legal aid is removed from the jurisdiction for everything but international protection and judicial review – and the “Residence Test” may well put paid to the latter.

It’s also tricky because the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 places restrictions on who can give “immigration advice” [a regulatory protection born out of poor advice on the high street].

But immigration lawyers, not least on this blog, still try to share as many general tips as possible so that the activists, community groups and individuals in need of help have somewhere to start.

In the summer I addressed the Samphire Ex-Detainee Conference held at Amnesty International in London. The Ex-Detainee Project supports former detainees who are rebuilding their lives and often successfully regularising their status.

The talk is on fresh claims for asylum and Article 8 ECHR – plus a bit on how lawyers and non-lawyers can and do work together. I ramble a bit and it doesn’t cover everything – but we hope it serves as a brief introduction to “getting your case back on track” and maybe answers a few of the common questions newcomers to this area of law often ask. It’s now online thanks to Christine Oliver.

If you want the handout, drop me an email: taimourl@gclaw.co.uk.