Expert Evidence
for Immigration & Asylum
Our chambers prepares CPR Part 35-compliant medico-legal asylum reports for solicitors, barristers, and local authority legal teams. We accept instructions in asylum appeals, fresh claims, and judicial reviews where psychiatric evidence is required to support complex immigration cases under the Immigration Rules and Human Rights Act 1998.
Expert witness immigration tribunal
reports for complex asylum cases
Our chambers provides asylum expert witness UK services for solicitors preparing appeals, fresh claims, and judicial reviews. We prepare medico legal asylum reports that meet the evidential standards of the Immigration Tribunal, CPR Part 35, and Practice Direction 35.
Members of our chambers are consultant psychiatrists and psychologists on the GMC Specialist Register or HCPC register. We assess claimants with histories of torture, trafficking, gender-based violence, and complex PTSD where psychiatric evidence is material to the asylum claim under the Immigration Rules or Article 3 ECHR.
Our reports address the specific requirements of the Immigration Tribunal, including compliance with the Istanbul Protocol and the principles set out in Mibanga and KV (Sri Lanka). We accept instructions from solicitors, barristers, and local authority legal teams across the UK.
When to instruct
an asylum expert witness UK
Our chambers accepts instructions where psychiatric or psychological evidence is required to support asylum claims, fresh claims, or appeals in the Immigration Tribunal. The following presentations typically require specialist medico-legal assessment.
Torture and ill-treatment claims
Claimants alleging torture under the UN Convention Against Torture, where psychiatric sequelae are material to credibility and risk on return. Our reports address the Istanbul Protocol standards and the requirements of the Immigration Tribunal.
Trafficking and modern slavery
NRM-identified victims with complex PTSD, dissociative disorders, or enduring personality change where psychiatric evidence supports the trafficking claim under the Council of Europe Convention.
Gender-based violence
Claimants alleging FGM, forced marriage, honour-based violence, or domestic abuse where psychiatric injury is material to the asylum claim under the Immigration Rules or Article 8 ECHR.
Complex PTSD and dissociative disorders
Claimants with ICD-11 complex PTSD, dissociative identity disorder, or enduring personality change where standard PTSD assessments are insufficient for the Immigration Tribunal.
Child and adolescent claimants
Unaccompanied minors and child claimants where developmental trauma, attachment disorders, or safeguarding concerns require specialist psychiatric assessment under the Children Act 1989.
Fresh claims and judicial reviews
Cases where new psychiatric evidence is required to support a fresh claim or judicial review under the Immigration Rules, including cases where previous expert reports have been challenged.
Article 3 ECHR medical cases
Claimants with severe mental illness where removal would breach Article 3 ECHR, requiring expert evidence on treatment availability and risk on return under the principles in D v UK.
Vulnerable claimants
Claimants with capacity issues, language barriers, or ongoing safeguarding concerns where standard assessment protocols are insufficient for a fair evaluation under CPR Part 35.
Our chambers does not prepare reports for routine immigration matters where psychiatric evidence is not material, such as standard visa appeals, deportation cases without mental health concerns, or cases where the sole issue is credibility without psychiatric sequelae.
Designed for immigration
tribunal timetables
Our chambers coordinates instructions to meet the procedural deadlines of the Immigration Tribunal, CPR Part 35, and Practice Direction 35. We provide clear timelines, proactive updates, and reports that align with tribunal requirements.
Tribunal-compliant reports
Our reports are structured to meet the specific requirements of the Immigration Tribunal, including compliance with the Istanbul Protocol, CPR Part 35, and the principles in Mibanga and KV (Sri Lanka).
Proactive timeline management
We provide clear timelines at instruction, with proactive updates throughout the assessment process. Urgent instructions are accommodated within tribunal deadlines where clinically feasible.
Part 35 question handling
Our experts respond to Part 35 questions and joint expert meetings in accordance with CPR Part 35 and the Civil Justice Council 2014 Guidance, ensuring compliance with procedural rules.
Vulnerable claimant adjustments
We offer interpreter services, remote assessments, and capacity-sensitive interviewing for claimants with language barriers, safeguarding concerns, or dissociative presentations.
Desktop and examination options
We provide desktop reviews where appropriate, with full examinations conducted where the clinical presentation or tribunal requirements demand it. Proportionality is agreed at instruction.
Single point of contact
Each instruction is managed by a named coordinator who handles scheduling, fee quotations, updates, and delivery, ensuring clear communication throughout the process.
Questions from
immigration solicitors
Do your reports comply with CPR Part 35 and Immigration Tribunal requirements?
Yes. Our reports are prepared in accordance with CPR Part 35, Practice Direction 35, and the specific requirements of the Immigration Tribunal. We ensure compliance with the Istanbul Protocol, Mibanga, and KV (Sri Lanka) principles.
Can you assess claimants who do not speak English?
Yes. We arrange qualified interpreters for assessments and ensure that language barriers do not compromise the quality of the medico legal asylum report. Interpreter presence is documented in the report.
Do you accept instructions for fresh claims and judicial reviews?
Yes. Our chambers accepts instructions for fresh claims, judicial reviews, and appeals where new psychiatric evidence is required to support the case under the Immigration Rules or Human Rights Act 1998.
How do you handle Part 35 questions from the Home Office?
We respond promptly. Our experts address Part 35 questions in accordance with CPR Part 35 and the Civil Justice Council 2014 Guidance, ensuring that responses are clinically robust and procedurally compliant.
Can you provide a desktop opinion before committing to a full examination?
Yes. We offer desktop reviews where appropriate, allowing solicitors to assess the potential value of expert evidence before proceeding to a full examination. This is particularly useful for proportionality assessments.
What is your turnaround time for asylum psychiatric reports?
6–10 weeks. Standard turnaround from full records receipt to report delivery is 6–10 weeks, subject to claimant availability and case complexity. Urgent instructions are accommodated where clinically feasible within tribunal deadlines.