Ezrah Kashumbusha.
LONDON, January 18, 2024 | The Chief Justice of the United Kingdom, Sue Carr, has revealed plans to train and recruit 150 judges to assist in the implementation of the Prime Minister’s controversial deportation plan to Rwanda. Speaking before the justice select committee, Lady Chief Justice Carr emphasized the importance of maintaining the independence of the judiciary in decisions related to judge deployment.
Carr expressed her concern over the government’s plans, stating that decisions on how judges are deployed should be exclusively within the purview of the judiciary. She pointed out that the outlined plans by the government risked entangling matters of judicial responsibility in the political arena.
“While parliament has legislated, the judiciary has acted in preparations for that legislation. But to be absolutely clear, matters of work for judges, the allocation of work for judges, are the domain of the judiciary, and more specifically, the matter for myself is a clear division,” Carr asserted.
This announcement follows the earlier statement by the Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary of the UK, Alex Chalk, regarding plans to expand court capacity and recruit additional judges to expedite asylum appeals under the Rwanda Bill. The proposed legislation has triggered resignations from Conservative Party Deputy Chair Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke Smith, who stepped down from their posts to vote for amendments in the bill.
On January 17, the UK House of Commons passed a bill stipulating that asylum seekers arriving in the UK should be sent to Rwanda for claims processing, with the possibility of being granted refugee status and allowed to stay there. However, the bill is now set to face challenges in the House of Lords.
The proposed law would compel judges to treat Rwanda as a processing country, but concerns have been raised, including a statement from the Supreme Court last year, which declared that deporting asylum seekers to Kigali is illegal under international law.
As the bill progresses through parliamentary channels, it prompts discussions about the delicate balance between legislative mandates and judicial autonomy. The recruitment of additional judges signifies a proactive approach to handle the potential surge in asylum cases while upholding the principles of fairness, justice, and adherence to international legal standards.
