Evaluating tribunal adjudication: administrative justice and asylum appeals

Abstract

This article examines the development, operation and reform of the tribunal system responsible for determining appeals against the refusal of refugee status by the Home Office. Consideration of this particular appellate system is situated within a broader discussion of the criteria and values against which tribunal adjudication systems may be evaluated, By examining asylum appeals, light is shed on the theory and practice of administrative justice with regard to: the problematic nature of ensuring accuracy in tribunal decision-making; the tensions under which appeal procedures operate; the importance of onward appeal rights; and the role of tribunals in policy implementation. The article argues that recent reform of the asylum appeal process, including the introduction of a single tier of appeal, the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal, by the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc) Act 2004 and restrictions on legal aid, has been motivated by political considerations and may increase the dificulties in operating an effective appeal process.