Stephanie Harrison KC guest-stars on The Landmark Listen podcast episode ‘Guerrilla Law - Abuse in Immigration Detention: the Brook House Inquiry'

Stephanie Harrison KC and Alex Goodman KC have, between them, been involved in most of the leading cases on immigration detention over the past twenty years. In this episode, they discuss the Brook House Inquiry and the history of the detention of immigrants in the UK. Essential listening for anyone interested in human rights or immigration.

The Brook House Inquiry was instigated following revelations by Panorama of abuse potentially amounting to torturous, inhumane and degrading treatment.

The Inquiry heard extensive evidence that showed ongoing systemic failure of detention safeguards, with very high numbers of vulnerable people in detention experiencing high levels of mental distress and deterioration, where political imperatives of removal, particularly on charter flights, were prioritised over fundamental rights and welfare.

Institutional cultures amongst staff, including medical staff and managers, were marked by dehumanization and othering, where violent, derogatory language, stereotyping and racism flourished with no effective oversight or sanction.

A detailed briefing of the key issues of the Brook House Inquiry, prepared by Medical Justice, is available to download here.

The Inquiry has today said that its report is expected to be published late summer.

The importance of the work of the Brook House Public Inquiry team, into mistreatment and abuse of those detained in immigration detention facilities, was recognised at the LexisNexis Legal Awards 2023, jointly winning the Halsbury Rule of Law Award.

The podcast series is produced by Landmark Chambers’ Public Interest Law Group, all episodes in the series are available to listen to here.