R (on the application of Begum) (Appellant) v Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Respondent)
Case ID: UKSC 2020/0156
Case summary
Issue
- Should Ms Begum be granted leave to enter the UK so that she can pursue her appeal against the Secretary of State’s decision to deprive her of British citizenship?
- Was the Special Immigration Appeals Commission wrong to apply judicial review principles to Ms Begum’s appeal against the deprivation decision?
- If Ms Begum is refused leave to enter the UK, should her appeal against the deprivation decision be allowed?
Facts
Ms Begum was born and brought up in the UK, and was a British citizen at birth. When she was 15 years old, she travelled to Syria with two friends. Shortly after she arrived, she married an ISIL fighter. Ms Begum has remained in Syria since 2015 and has aligned with ISIL. She is currently detained in the Al-Roj camp run by the Syrian Democratic Forces, where conditions are poor. Ms Begum now wishes to return to the UK.
On 19 February 2019, the Secretary of State for the Home Department decided to deprive Ms Begum of her British citizenship, on the basis that Ms Begum's return would present a risk to national security. Ms Begum sought leave to enter the UK so that she could pursue an appeal against this decision, but her application for leave to enter was refused. Ms Begum challenges both the decision to deprive her of citizenship and the decision to refuse her leave to enter the UK.
The Special Immigration Appeals Commission found that, while Ms Begum remains detained by the Syrian Democratic Forces in a camp, she cannot give effective instructions or take any meaningful part in her appeal. This means that her appeal cannot be fair and effective. The Court of Appeal therefore held that Ms Begum should be granted leave to enter the UK so that she could pursue her appeal. The Secretary of State appeals to the Supreme Court.
Parties
Appellant(s)
R (on the application of Begum)
Respondent(s)
Special Immigration Appeals Commission
Appeal
Justices
Lord Reed, Lord Hodge, Lady Black, Lord Lloyd-Jones, Lord Sales.
Hearing start date
23 Nov 2020
Hearing finish date
24 Nov 2020
| Watch hearing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 23 Nov 2020 | Morning session | Afternoon session |
| 24 Nov 2020 | Morning session | Afternoon session |
Judgment details
Judgment date
26 February 2021
Neutral citation
[2021] UKSC 7
| Watch Judgment summary | |
|---|---|
| 26 Feb 2021 | Judgment summary |
Reporting Restrictions
R (on the application of Begum) (Appellant) v Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Respondent)
Case ID: UKSC 2020/0156
THE COURT ORDERED THAT:
- The CONFIDENTIAL witness statement of Daniel Furner dated 30 August 2019 and its exhibits shall remain confidential to the parties and the court and, subject to further order of the court, shall not be available for inspection.
- The witness relied on by Ms Begum, witness B, be granted anonymity in relation to the conduct of these proceedings and be identified only as "Witness B" and nothing may be published which, directly or indirectly, identifies Witness B as a witness in these proceedings.
- The steps taken on behalf of the Secretary of State and Her Majesty’s Government to facilitate Ms Begum’s involvement in the deprivation appeal, as described in the Witness Statements of Lauren Cooper dated 12 October 2020 and 5 November 2020, shall be confidential and no party or other person shall publish or disclose the same.