Andrew Deakin

Andrew is an experienced immigration lawyer. He appears at all levels of tribunal court from the First-tier Tribunal to the Court of Appeal (including the Special Immigration Appeals Commission).

Cases of Note

• R. DNG v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] EWHC 1769 (Admin) – challenge to the removal of DNG to France pursuant to the Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the French Republic on the Prevention of Dangerous Journeys.
• R. (EXR) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (No. 2) [2026] EWHC 1726 (Admin) – consideration of the standard of review for age-assessment decisions affecting unaccompanied migrants.
• Sinkala v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] EWHC 59 (KB) – claim for a declaration of British Overseas Citizenship on baiss that Ms Sinkala’s parents were Citizens of the UK and Colonies prior to Zambian Independence.
• R (SS (Sri Lanka) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2018] EWCA Civ 1391 – Acted for the Secretary of State in an appeal addressing the consequences of delay between hearing and promulgation of a decision and the relevance of demeanour to credibility findings.
• PR (Sri Lanka) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2017] EWCA Civ 1946 – Acted for the Secretary of State in an appeal against the refusal of an application to apply for permission to appeal a refusal to treat submissions as a fresh claim. Case concerned the weight to be attached to summaries of evidence in Country Guidance cases

Andrew appears regularly for both families and public authorities in inquests raising human rights matters. He has particular experience of deaths in prison and/or of vulnerable adults.

Cases of note:

• Re MT (2021) – Suicide of vulnerable adult.
• Re C (2017) – Art. 2 inquest into death of prisoner in custody involving police, prison officers, prison healthcare, and the Probation Service.
• Re E (2016) – Art. 2 inquest into the suicide of a recently released psychiatric patient.
• Re C (2016) – Art. 2 inquest into death of prisoner in custody. (Inquest challenged on grounds of breach of natural justice.)
• CM (a child) (2015) – Inquest into death of a child in care (complex medical history).
• Lava & Ignite (2015) – Inquest into multiple deaths following crush injuries at the Lava & Ignite nightclub

Andrew has extensive experience of prisons and Parole Board matters. He was instructed by the Secretary of State for Justice in a number of Parole Board proceedings relying on Closed material (the first of their kind in the jurisdiction of England and Wales) and continues to act in high profile and sensitive parole proceedings. Andrew acts for both prisoners and public authorities. As well as acting in contested proceedings, Andrew regularly advises HMG on matters of prison and Parole Board policy.

Cases of Note

• R (Secretary of State for Justice) v Parole Board for England and Wales [2025] EWHC 472 (Admin) – disclosure of confidential information to Special Advocate in Parole Proceedings.
• R (Kessie-Adjie) v Secretary of State for Justice [2022] EWHC 722 (Admin) – Challenge on Article 5 ECHR grounds to the recall of prisoners who are unlawfully at large without fault. (Led by Sam Grodzinski QC).
• R (Mormoroc) v Ministry of Justice [2017] EWCA Civ 989 – The Appellant, an EU citizen, alleged discrimination on the basis that different policy considerations controlled a grant of Home Detention Curfew in his case than those applying to UK citizens. ECHR and EU law in issue.
• Guntrip v Parole Board (1) and Secretary of State for Justice (2) [2015] A.C.D. 67 – Acted for the Secretary of State defending an Article 5 ECHR challenge on grounds of delay.
• R (on the application of LD; RH; BK) v Secretary of State for Justice [2014] EWHC 3517 (Divisional Court) – Human rights challenge to PSI 67/2011 on grounds that the policy did not properly constrain full body searches of women prisoners.

Andrew has been instructed  in a number of major inquiries.  He also has investigation experience (including  advising on challenges to unpublished investigation reports).

Inquires include:

• Independent Inquiry Relating to Afghanistan (ongoing) – inquiry into matters arising out of the deployment of Special Forces to Afganistan. Instructed by the NCA.
• Dawn Sturgess Inquiry (2025)– acted for a core participant into the inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess following exposure to Novichok.
• Thirlwall Inquiry (2025) – instructed by the CQC in an inquiry into institutional failings following Lucy Letby’s murder of children at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
• Covid Inquiry (2025) –  instructed by UK Research and Innovation in Modules 4 and 5 of the Covid Inquiry.
• Local Authority Review (2020) – Review of investigation and disciplinary action taken against a councillor following accusations of dishonesty.
• Hart Institutional Abuse Inquiry (2016) – instructed by several government departments and agencies in the Hart Inquiry into institutional abuse in Northern Ireland.

Andrew advises government agencies and individuals in sanctions related matters. He has experience of the Proscribed Organisation Appeals Commission.

Cases include: 

• R. (on the application of Fridman) v National Crime Agency [2023] EWHC 3606 (Admin) – challenge to a search warrant issued in the context of alleged sanctions breaches.
• Arumugam & Others v Secretary of State for the Home Department (POAC PC/06/2022)) – challenge to the proscription of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
• SF v National Crime Agency UKIPTrib3 – acted for the NCA in a challenge to the lawfulness of the interception of EncroChat criminal communications. International law, mutual assistance and the Investigatory Powers Act in issue.

Andrew is regularly instructed in Disclosure and Barring matters in the Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals) and before the Security Vetting and Appeals Panel.

Cases include: 

• XV v Disclosure and Barring Service [2026] UKUT 149 (AAC)
• LJ v Disclsoure and Barring Service [2025] UKUT 081 (AAC)

Andrew accepts instructions to advise and act a range of professional disciplinary matters (both at first instance and on appeal).

Cases include: 

• Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care v Health and Care Professions Council [2025] EWHC 164 (Admin) – consideration of date from which an extension period/further order following a mandatory review should take effect.
• Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care v General Pharmaceutical Council [2024] EWHC 3335 (Admin) – appeal against a decision that the fitness of a registered pharmacist had not been impaired by reason of his misconduct.

Andrew has extensive experience of data protection and freedom of information matters. He has a particular interest in the law of freedom of expression. He accepts pro bono instructions where appropriate.

Cases include:

• Lownie v Information Commissioner [2025] UKFTT 1125 (GRC) – appeal against decision of FCDO to disclose its sensitivity reviewers’ guidance manual under FOIA.
• Cross v Information Commissioner and Security Service (2025) EA/2023/0546 – appeal against the Security Service’s refusal to provide information requested pursuant to the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
• Rights & Security International v Information Commissioner [2024] UKFTT 296 (GRC) – challenge to a refusal to provide details of the number of individuals deprived of British Nationality pursuant to section 40(2) BNA 1981 between 2019 and 2020 and further details.
• Williams v Information Commissioner [2023] UKFTT 01003 (GRC) – challenge to refusal to provide details relating to a flight chartered to fly migrants to Rwanda on 14 June 2022 on the basis of section 43(2) FOIA (commercial interests).
• Christopher Stanley v (1) Information Commissioner and (2) Northern Ireland Office EA/2019/0019 – Acted for the Northern Ireland Office to resist the disclosure of a file entitled “Provisional IRA intentions and activities in Great Britain”.