Immigration and asylum expert witness reports

Conditions and presentations

• Article 3 ECHR mental health assessment

  AM (Zimbabwe) framework on access to and effectiveness of treatment.

• Deportation and detention mental health

  Rule 35 reports and adults at risk evidence.

• Depression with suicidality

  Including risk on removal and in detention.

• Dissociative disorders

  Relevant to consistency of accounts and Mibanga assessment.

• Fitness to give evidence

  Including need for special measures at hearing.

• Istanbul Protocol documentation

  Consistency of psychological findings with the account.

• Panic and agoraphobia

  Particularly common in detention contexts.

• Psychotic illness exacerbated by detention

  Including first-episode psychosis in vulnerable applicants.

• PTSD and complex PTSD

  Following torture, persecution, or trafficking.

• Somatic symptom presentations

  Where physical complaints reflect psychiatric distress.

• Substance misuse

  As a coping response or pre-existing factor.

• Suicide risk on removal

  Structured risk formulation tied to country conditions.

• Torture documentation

  Linked to physical scarring evidence where available.

• Trafficking assessment

  Including Modern Slavery Act referrals and NRM evidence.

• Traumatic brain injury sequelae

  From torture, beating, or detention.

Typical questions for the expert

• Is the applicant suffering from a psychiatric disorder consistent with the account given?
• What treatment is required and is it available in the receiving country?
• What is the suicide risk on removal?

Reports provided

Reports compliant with Practice Direction and Istanbul Protocol principles where applicable.

Experts owe their primary duty to the court under CPR Part 35 and equivalent procedural rules.

Related practice areas

Cases in this area often overlap with our work on criminal proceedings, family and child proceedings, and personal injury and civil litigation. You may also want to read our full list of practice areas.