IMMIGRATION: ASYLUM AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Overview
Miranda practices in all areas of immigration, with a particular focus on asylum and human rights. She is regularly instructed in matters before the High Court, Upper Tribunal and First Tier Tribunal, including judicial reviews and urgent applications for interim relief.
Her practice encompasses asylum and human rights appeals with substantial experience of deportation, EEA cases, the Points Based System and claims related to children.
In 2019 Miranda was appointed to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Panel of Counsel.
Miranda is regularly instructed on strategic litigation, often including challenges to Home Office policy. Miranda is currently instructed on a strategic challenge to the level of fees for children seeking to register or naturalise as British Citizens, in PRCBC and ors v SSHD led by Richard Drabble QC.
In early 2018 she appeared with Sonali Naik QC and Bryony Poynor in the High Court case of ZS v SSHD, challenging the lawfulness of the Home Secretary’s implementation of the Dubs Amendment.
Miranda regularly handles judicial reviews claims related to unlawful detention and certification, including urgent applications for interim relief.
She regularly handles bail applications and unlawful detention claims. She appeared, led by Anthony Vaughan and David Lock QC, in the case of R (KG)(Sri Lanka) v SSHD, an unlawful detention claim which successfully challenged the Secretary of State’s failure to ensure proper provision of medical treatment in immigration detention.
Miranda also undertakes advisory work on a broad range of immigration-related issues, including naturalisation and citizenship issues.
Notable Cases
PRCBC and ors v SSHD: a challenge to the over 60% profit made by the Home Secretary on fees charged to children seeking to register or naturalise as British Citizens. Miranda is led by Amanda Weston QC and Ronan Toal.
NN & LP v Secretary of State for the Home Department: a successful challenge to the 45-day limit on support for recognised victims of trafficking. As a result of this litigation the Home Secretary agreed to withdraw the police.
ZS v Secretary of State for the Home Department: challenge to the implementation of the ‘Dubs’ Amendment, led by Sonali Naik QC and Bryony Poynor.
R (KG)(Sri Lanka) v SSHD: successful unlawful detention, including a challenge based on the failure to provide a rule 34 assessment.
AK v Secretary of State for the Home Department: successfully defended a Rwandan national against the Home Office’s exclusion from leave to remain on the grounds of alleged involvement in genocide, in a six-day First- tier Tribunal hearing.
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IMMIGRATION: ECONOMIC MIGRATION
Miranda acts for individuals and institutions in relation to matters arising under the Points-Based System and other Immigration Rules routes. She also regularly advises economic migrants on administrative reviews and judicial reviews of Home Office decisions.
Miranda also has particular experience in representing Tier 4 visa holders. She is currently writing a chapter in Macdonald’s Immigration Law and Practice (10th edition) on students and is regularly instructed in matters affecting students, including challenges arising out of the English Testing Service scandal.
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Civil Liberties and Human Rights
Overview
Miranda works on a broad range of human rights claims, including issues of unlawful detention, prisoners’ rights and freedom of expression litigation.
In 2019 Miranda was appointed to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Panel of Counsel.
Miranda has experience in litigation before the European Court of Human Rights, having acted for various freedom of expression NGOs intervening in the case of Khadija Ismayilova v Azerbaijan, led by Can Yeginsu. In its 2019 decision the Strasbourg Court agreed with the interveners’ submissions that the state of Azerbaijan had failed in its obligations not only under Article 8 ECHR, but also under Article 10, in that it had failed to protect the privacy of Ms Ismayilova, a journalist, which had a potential ‘chilling effect’ on freedom of expression.
She also worked for the interveners on Big Brother Watch v UK, a successful challenge to the bulk interception and processing of metadata by the UK and its data sharing with foreign states.
She was awarded the 2017 Pegasus Scholarship and spent three months working as a stagiaire in the UK division of the Court.
Miranda has a particular interest in prisoners’ rights, having previously worked with Reprieve and the Howard League for Penal Reform. She has been instructed on several claims challenging unlawful strip searching in prisons, both by way of judicial review and in civil claims.
Notable Cases
Roy Phillips v UK: counsel for the applicant, challenging his conviction under Article 6 ECHR
Khadija Ismayilova v Azerbaijan: counsel for various freedom of expression NGOs supporting a successful claim by a jailed journalist challenging mistreatment and covert surveillance by the state. The European Court of Human Rights found violations of Article 8 and 10 ECHR.
Big Brother Watch v UK: a successful challenge to the bulk interception and processing of metadata by the UK and its data sharing with foreign states in the European Court of Human Rights. Miranda acted for several interveners specialising on freedom of expression in the US.
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Administrative and Public Law
Overview
Miranda works in a broad range of public law areas, including unlawful detention, community care, healthcare provision, trafficking, and strategic litigation. She is regularly instructed in judicial review challenges, including urgent matters and applications for interim relief.
In 2019 Miranda was appointed to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Panel of Counsel.
Miranda is currently instructed on a strategic challenge to the level of fees for children seeking to register or naturalise as British Citizens, in PRCBC and ors v SSHD, led by Richard Drabble QC.
In January 2020 Miranda was instructed by JCWI to intervene in linked challenges to the Home Secretary’s decision to pursue deportation flights to Jamaica despite the failure to publish the Windrush report.
Miranda has particular expertise in claims related to support and protection for victims of trafficking. She was instructed in NN & LP v SSHD, a successful challenge to the 45-day limit to support for recognised victims of trafficking. As a result of this litigation the Home Secretary agreed to withdraw this challenge and remove the time limit which had previously been imposed on victims of trafficking seeking to access support. She is currently instructed, led by Amanda Weston, in EG v SSHD, a challenge to the prohibition on working for certain victims of trafficking.
In 2019 Miranda, led by David Lock QC, was instructed in AB and ors v Livewell Southwest CIC, a claim on behalf of patients who had been successfully treated with diamorphine over several decades whose treatment was suspended without consultation. Miranda’s work on the case included representing the claimants at a pre-judicial review mediation. Miranda has a particular interest in medical law claims as she teaches medical law at LSE University.
Miranda appeared with Sonali Naik QC and Bryony Poynor in the High Court in ZS v SSHD, challenging the lawfulness of the Home Secretary’s implementation of the Dubs Amendment.
Miranda regularly works on unlawful detention challenges, both in the Administrative Court and in civil proceedings. She appeared with Anthony Vaughan and David Lock QC in the successful unlawful detention action R (KG) v SSHD.
Miranda has a strong interest in penal reform. She regularly undertakes advisory work in prison law claims, including challenges to segregation, restrictions on family contact and strip searching.
Notable Cases
PRCBC and ors v SSHD: a challenge to the over 60% profit made by the Home Secretary on fees charged to children seeking to register or naturalise as British Citizens. Miranda is led by Amanda Weston QC and Ronan Toal.
AB and ors v Livewell Southwest CIC: a challenge to the suspension of medical treatment on behalf of a group of patients, led by David Lock QC.
NN & LP v Secretary of State for the Home Department: a successful challenge to the 45-day limit on support for recognised victims of trafficking. As a result of this litigation the Home Secretary agreed to withdraw the police.
ZS v Secretary of State for the Home Department: challenge to the implementation of the ‘Dubs’ Amendment, led by Sonali Naik QC and Bryony Poynor.
R (KG)(Sri Lanka) v SSHD [2018] EWHC 1767 (Admin): successful unlawful detention claim, including a challenge based on the failure to provide a rule 34 assessment.
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Community Care Law
Miranda practices in community care law and accepts instructions in judicial review claims concerning community care provision, including support under the Children Act, Care Act, age assessment challenges and provision of accommodation and support to asylum seekers and victims of trafficking. She is particularly experienced in handling urgent applications for interim relief.
Miranda has particular expertise in claims related to support and protection for victims of trafficking. She was instructed in NN & LP v SSHD, a successful challenge to the 45-day limit to support for recognised victims of trafficking. As a result of this litigation the Home Secretary agreed to withdraw this challenge and remove the time limit which had previously been imposed on victims of trafficking seeking to access support. She is currently instructed, led by Amanda Weston, in EG v SSHD, a challenge to the prohibition on working for certain victims of trafficking.
She is currently acting for a victim of trafficking in YPG v SSHD, a challenge to the reduced levels of support available for victims of trafficking who are pregnant or have young children, led by Alex Goodman. The Home Office has announced that they will be reviewing the policy under challenge.
Miranda is currently instructed on strategic litigation challenging the ‘support gap’ for newly-recognised refugees, led by Martin Westgate QC and Raza Halim.
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Court of Protection
Miranda regularly appears in the Court of Protection and Mental Health Tribunals. She is also involved in public law claims regarding the healthcare system.
This aspect of her practice is complemented by her experience teaching medical law at LSE University, including mental capacity and mental health law.
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Pro Bono Work
Miranda is committed to promoting access to justice through acting pro bono. She regularly undertakes advisory or representative work for a range of NGOs and charities and has worked with PEN International, Refugee Rights Europe, and the Project for the Registration of British Children amongst others.
In 2016–2018 Miranda was a coordinator of the Refugee Legal Support Athens Project, which sends experienced immigration practitioners to Greece to provide legal advice and representation for asylum seekers. She has volunteered as an advocate in both Chios and Athens, during which time she gained particular experience of working with unaccompanied minors and on claims under the Dublin III regulation.
She represents immigration detainees on a pro bono basis for Bail for Immigration Detainees and has worked on various death row appeals for the Death Penalty Project.
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Civil Law
Miranda has an extensive background in a range of private law areas, including employment, commercial and negligence claims. She has worked across the spectrum of civil law proceedings both as a judicial assistant in the Supreme Court and in private practice.
This means that Miranda is particularly well-placed to advise on civil proceedings arising out of public law challenges, including false imprisonment and/or damages claims. She is currently instructed in a high-value claim arising out of the unlawful strip-searching of a mental health nurse at her workplace in a UK prison.
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Background
Miranda is a tenacious and dedicated advocate, with a broad range of experience in public law and human rights, having worked at the UK Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights as well as a number of NGOs. Having previously worked in refugee camps and prisons she has significant experience of working with vulnerable clients, including unaccompanied minors and trafficking victims.
Miranda joined Garden Court in 2017 as a tenant, having previously worked in a mixed civil and public law chambers. She brings an expertise in civil proceedings to her public and human rights practice.
In 2014 – 2015 Miranda was the judicial assistant to Lord Kerr JSC at the Supreme Court. During that time she worked on a variety of high-profile public law cases including:
R (Evans) v Attorney General
R (Carlile) v Secretary of State for the Home Department
Keyu and ors v Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and anor
In 2017 Miranda worked as a stagiaire at the European Court of Human Rights, working on applications to the court and supporting the UK Division with its caseload. She has also acted in various claims on behalf of freedom of expression NGOs before the European Court of Human Rights.
Prior to pupillage Miranda volunteered in Pentonville and Wormwood Scrubs prisons teaching public speaking and debating to serving prisoners and remains committed to supporting penal reform.
Publications
Macdonald’s Immigration Law and Practice, contributor (forthcoming)
Athens Legal Support (Counsel Magazine, July 2017)
Limbo: a virtual experience of waiting for asylum (The Guardian, July 2017, contributor)
Athens Refugee Legal Support Project: what's happening on the ground (Free Movement blog, June 2017, co-author)
The EU-Turkey refugee deal only succeeded in one thing (New Statesman, December 2016, co-author)
The constitutional implications of Brexit (Solicitors' Journal, July 2016)
Awards
Pegasus Scholarship (2017)
Administrative Law Bar Association Scholarship (2015)
Selected for Frank Knox Fellowship (not taken up) (2015)
Times Law Award Finalist (2014)
Inner Temple Major Scholarship (2012)
Inner Temple Exhibition (2011)
MPhil Scholarship, Classics Department, Cambridge University (2010)
King's College Scholarship, King's College, Cambridge (2009)
Henry Arthur Thomas Award, King's College, Cambridge (2008)
