Immigration, Asylum and Liberal Democracy

A high-profile immigration case takes centre stage at Prime Minister’s Questions, sparking debate over refugee law and the reality of power politics in an age of populism. In this episode of Double Jeopardy, Ken Macdonald KC and Tim Owen KC dissect Kemi Badenoch’s focus on a controversial ruling involving a Palestinian family. 

They go on to consider the UN Convention on Refugees, and ask whether it remains viable in a new age of mass displacement and population movement.

How should governments respond to migration and asylum, when both are massive drivers of populist political movements seeking to promote authoritarianism and destroy liberal democracy?

Finally, Ken and Tim return to the campaign to remove Richard Hermer from his position as Attorney General. Don’t these coordinated attacks, coming from his own ministers, and directed against his close friend and ally, make Keir Starmer himself look weak?

You can find a link to the Gaza judgement here

And the Lady Chief Justice’s angry response to the attack on the Upper Tribunal Judge here