The Asylum Appeals (Procedure) Rules 1996

PART II APPEALS TO SPECIAL ADJUDICATORS

Application of Part II

4.  This Part applies to asylum appeals to a special adjudicator.

Notice of appeal

5.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), a person making an asylum appeal (“the appellant” ) shall give notice of appeal not later than 7 days after receiving notice of the decision against which he is appealing.

(2) The time limit for giving notice of appeal shall be 2 days in a case where the following conditions are satisfied:

(a) the appeal is made under section 8(1) of the 1993 Act (where the appellant was refused leave to enter the United Kingdom); and

(b) the appeal relates to a certified claim; and

(c) the appellant is in custody in the United Kingdom, and

(d) there has been personal service on the appellant of the notice of the decision against which he is appealing.

(3) Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), notice of appeal shall be given by serving —

(a) on an immigration officer, in the case of an appeal under section 8(1) or (4) of the 1993 Act; and

(b) upon the Secretary of State, in the case of an appeal under section 8(2) or (3) of the 1993 Act,

Form A1 which shall be

(i) signed by the appellant or his representative; and

(ii) accompanied by the notice (or a copy of the notice) informing the appellant of the decision against which he is appealing and the reasons for the decision.

(4) In any case where an appellant is in custody, service under paragraph (3) may be upon the person having custody of him.

(5) In any case where an appellant appeals under section 3 of the 1996 Act from outside the United Kingdom this rule shall apply to the appeal subject to the following modifications:

(a) paragraph (1) shall have effect as if, for the words from “7 days after” to the end, there were substituted “28 days after the departure of the ship, aircraft, through train or shuttle train in which the appellant left the United Kingdom.” ;

(b) paragraph (3) shall have effect as if, for “Form A1”, there were substituted “Form A1(TC)” .

(6) Where any notice of appeal is not given within the appropriate time limit, it shall nevertheless be treated for all purposes as having been given within that time limit if the person to whom it was given in accordance with this rule is of the opinion that, by reason of special circumstances, it is just and right for the notice to be so treated.

(7) Upon receipt of the notice of appeal (whether or not the notice was given within the time limit), the immigration officer or (as the case may be) the Secretary of State shall send to the United Kingdom Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees the documents specified in paragraph (3).

(8) Within 42 days of receipt of the notice of appeal (whether or not the notice was given within the time limit), the immigration officer or (as the case may be) the Secretary of State shall send to a special adjudicator and the appellant —

(a) the documents specified in paragraph (3);

(b) the original or copies of any notes of interview; and

(c) the original or copies of any other document (except statutory materials) referred to in the decision being appealed,

and, in a case where the time limit specified above has not been complied with, the Secretary of State shall notify the appellant and the special adjudicator why it has not been complied with.

(9) In this Rule “statutory materials” means any enactment or any provision made under an enactment, a convention or other provisions of a similar nature which are publicly available.

Notification of hearing

6.  Notice of the date, time and place fixed for the hearing of the appeal shall not later than 5 days after the receipt of the documents specified in rule 5(8) be served on —

(a) the appellant,

(b) the immigration officer or (as the case may be) the Secretary of State, and

(c) (if he has given notice in accordance with rule 8(2)) the United Kingdom Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Variation of notice of appeal

7.  The grounds of the appeal may, with the leave of the special adjudicator, be varied by the appellant.

Parties

8.—(1) The parties to an appeal shall be the appellant and the Secretary of State.

(2) If the United Kingdom Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees gives written notice to the special adjudicator at any time during the course of an appeal that he wishes to be treated as a party to the appeal, he shall be so treated from the date of the notice.

Deciding the appeal

9.—(1) Unless the time limit is extended under rule 41, a special adjudicator shall decide an appeal not later than 42 days after receiving the documents specified in rule 5(8).

(2) The period specified in paragraph (1) shall be 10 days in a case where the appeal relates to a certified claim, except a certified claim in which the appellant appeals under section 3 of the 1996 Act from outside the United Kingdom.

(3) Where an appeal is remitted to a special adjudicator by the Tribunal pursuant to rule 17(2) or after an application for judicial review, the special adjudicator shall decide the appeal within 42 days of receipt of the Tribunal’s determination or, as the case may be, of the appropriate court order.

In this paragraph “appropriate court order” means the order made on the application for judicial review or the order made on any appeal against that order.

(4) Except where an appeal is determined without a hearing in accordance with rule 35 or summarily in accordance with rule 36, a hearing shall be held to decide an appeal.

Adjournment of hearings

10.—(1) Subject to rule 9(1) or (2), a special adjudicator shall not adjourn a hearing unless he is satisfied that an adjournment is necessary for the just disposal of the appeal.

(2) When considering whether an adjournment is necessary, a special adjudicator shall have particular regard to the need to secure the just, timely and effective conduct of the proceedings.

(3) Where a hearing is adjourned, the special adjudicator shall —

(a) consider whether further directions should be given under rule 23, and

(b) give notice either orally or in writing to every party to the proceedings of the time and place of the adjourned hearing.

Promulgation of determination and reasons

11.—(1) The special adjudicator shall wherever practicable pronounce his decision at the conclusion of the hearing and he shall not later than 10 days after the conclusion of the hearing send to every party to the appeal written notice of the determination.

(2) In an appeal which relates to a certified claim, the special adjudicator shall, if he agrees that the Secretary of State was right to certify the claim, pronounce his decision at the conclusion of the hearing and he shall not later than 5 days after the conclusion of the hearing send to every party to the appeal written notice of the determination.

(3) No notice sent under this rule shall be considered to be invalid by reason only of the failure to comply with any time limit prescribed.