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. 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 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 with Amanda Weston QC and Ronan Toal.
Miranda regularly handles judicial reviews claims related to unlawful detention and certification, including urgent applications for interim relief.
Miranda is also very familiar with challenges arising out of immigration detention. 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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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
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, 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 with Amanda Weston QC and Ronan Toal.
Miranda was recently instructed in NN & LP v Secretary of State for the Home Department, 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.
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.
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.
WM v London Boroughs of Croydon and Wandsworth: successfully obtained interim relief following a failure by the relevant local authority to provide support under s. 20 Children Act 1989.
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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 the London School of Economics, 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.
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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
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)
Education
- Bar Professional Training Course (Very Competent), Kaplan Law School
- Graduate Diploma in Law (Distinction), City Law School
- MPhil in Classics (Distinction), King's College, University of Cambridge
- MA in Classics (First Class), King's College, University of Cambridge
Professional Membership
- Equality and Human Rights Commission (Panel of Counsel)
- Immigration Law Practitioners Association (ILPA)
- Administrative Law Bar Association (ALBA)
- London School of Economics (Visiting Tutor)
- Public Law Project
- Liberty
- Refugee Legal Support: Athens
