Immigration Appeal Tribunal

HL Deb 30 March 2004 vol 659 cc154-5WA

Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why the Lord Chancellor has written to the lay members of the Immigration Appeal Tribunal (IAT) purporting to dismiss them, when the proposal to get rid of the IAT has not been approved by Parliament. [HL1935]

Lord Filkin

The proposal to unify the appeal system for asylum and immigration appeals is, of course, subject to parliamentary approval. However, in announcing their proposals, the Government decided to advise lay members of its intention that the new, unified tribunal should comprise legally qualified members only. This was not done to pre-empt the will of Parliament but to provide lay members with adequate notice that the Government did not envisage a role for them in the new tribunal.