Your Rights

Immigration

A solicitor who specialises in immigration can assist you in a number of areas including:

Asylum work
Human Rights 
Business immigration 
Foreign Students 
Marriage cases

Qualifying for asylum depends on whether you are a refugee, as described in the 1951 Refugee Convention. It says a refugee is someone who is outside their country of origin because of a well founded fear of persecution for one of five reasons:

Race
Religion
Nationality
Membership of a particular social group
Political opinion

A refugee needs to be able to show that they are in real danger and need protection for one of these reasons. It is vital to seek advice from a specialist solicitor.

Related accreditations: Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme

Human Rights

It is also possible to make a claim for asylum based directly on Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. This prohibits torture or inhuman or degrading treatment. The UK government would be breaching the Human Rights Act if it sent someone back to a country where they could face such a risk.

Related accreditations: Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme

Actions against the Police

A solicitor who specialises in this area of the law can advise on a number of areas including: wrongful arrest, assault, unlawful imprisonment, human rights and malicious prosecution. Your solicitor will ensure that your complaint is investigated fully by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Employment Law

Employment Law governs relationships in the workplace, through a combination of contract law and statutory rights, with many of these rights having their origins in European Community law.

Employers

Employers need to be aware of the frequent changes in employment law and this includes dealing with staff issues before they become legal issues. A solicitor can advise companies, from small businesses to large corporations, on all aspects of employing staff and the preparation of company procedures and legal documentation.

Employees

There are many areas in the workplace that employees may feel that they have been the victim of unfair treatment. This can include employment contracts, grievances with your employer, bullying and harassment or wrongful and unfair dismissals. A solicitor will be able to help you top either resolve a dispute or make a claim through the Employment Tribunal.

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