'It should focus on improving accuracy of initial decisions'

HOME Secretary Shabana Mahmood is at war with the legal profession over her plan to slash immigration.

- BY JONATHAN WALKER Whitehall Editor

Ms Mahmood, who is already battling fellow Labour MPs determined to block key parts of her reforms, has come under fire from lawyers opposing plans to stop judges deciding whether failed asylum seekers can stay in the UK.

The Law Society argues it is “critical” that independent judges continue to oversee decisions that impact the “safety and liberty” of potential refugees.

The Home Secretary is attempting to cut the backlog of 139,000 people whose request for asylum has been turned down but are still in the country while they wait for an appeal to be heard.

It takes 58 weeks on average for cases to be resolved and the delays are getting worse, with waiting times nine weeks higher now than they were last year.

Ms Mahmood has launched a consultation on plans for a new independent appeals body to replace the current tribunal system, which is known as the First-tier Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber.

It would mean judges are excluded from the process and replaced by “adjudicators” who will not have the same legal training.