Paul Draycott > Doughty Street Chambers > Manchester, England > Barrister Profile

Paul Draycott

p.draycott@doughtystreet.co.uk View profile

Work Department

Position

Paul is an experienced practitioner in the fields of public law and asylum and immigration.

The bulk of his practice broadly concerns judicial review claims concerning immigration related issues, particularly fresh claims, the certification of asylum or human rights claims, R(Cart) challenges to the Upper Tribunal’s refusal of permission to appeal, the revocation of indefinite leave to remain, the Dublin III Regulation, the Turkish European Community Association Agreement, unlawful detention, age assessment, as well as disciplinary related claims against Public Authorities under the Human Rights Act 1998, such as his previous case of R(G) -v- Governors of X School (2012) 1 AC 167 SC.

Career

Year of call: 1994

The current Legal 500 2020 Guide describes him as ‘having a strong asylum and immigration practice, with recent highlights including a successful judicial review against a Home Office decision to revoke indefinite leave, which was the third such case undertaken for the same claimant’, as well as also recently representing ‘a claimant in (a judicial review) challenging a court fee charged by Liverpool County Court during a low-value personal injury claim, which had been overcharged by almost 50% and which may affect large numbers of similar claims’.

Paul also regularly appears in appeal proceedings before the First Tier and Upper Tier Tribunals of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber, concerning ‘protection’, ‘human rights’ and EEA related grounds, and has a particular interest in claims brought by unaccompanied children and Palestinian Appellants, having appeared in HS(Palestinian – return to Gaza) Palestinian Territories CG [2011] UKUT 124 (IAC).

As Paul practiced employment law as an in-house advocate with a Trade Union firm of solicitors, prior to joining the Bar, he also represents employees and trade unions before Employment Tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal, particularly in respect of claims of unfair dismissal with a human rights angle, as recognised by the Legal 500 2020 Guide (‘(Paul) … is particularly prominent in cases which overlap with issues covered by the European Convention On Human Rights’).

As Paul also worked as a Welfare Benefits Advisor in the past, he represents Appellants before the First Tier Tribunal (social security and child support) in relation to claims for a wide range of benefits, as well as providing representation before the Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber).

Memberships

Amnesty International
CPAG (Child Poverty Action Group)
Industrial Law Society
Legal Action Group
Liberty
LSE Alumni