MT and ET (Child’s Best Interests; Ex Tempore Pilot) Nigeria: UTIAC 1 Feb 2018

1. A very young child, who has not started school or who has only recently done so, will have difficulty in establishing that her Article 8 private and family life has a material element, which lies outside her need to live with her parent or parents, wherever that may be. This position, however, changes over time, with the result that an assessment of best interests must adopt a correspondingly wider focus, examining the child’s position in the wider world, of which school will usually be an important part.
2. The giving of ex tempore decisions furthers the aim of dealing with immigration and asylum appeals as efficiently as possible. But any formal attempt to identify and manage in advance those cases which may lend themselves to the giving of ex tempore decisions needs careful handling; not least to ensure procedural fairness.

Citations:

[2018] UKUT 88 (IAC)

Links:

Bailii

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Immigration

Updated: 22 April 2022; Ref: scu.617019