Sophie Lucas

Year of Call: 2023, Qualified as Solicitor (2020)

"Sophie works tirelessly under considerable pressure for her clients."

Lead Counsel

"Her drafting is impeccable. Her output is high level."

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Sophie is a public law practitioner with considerable experience acting for claimants in complex human rights challenges against public bodies.

Sophie has over three years post-qualification experience as a public law solicitor representing clients at every level of Tribunal and Court, including before the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights. Sophie has worked on several landmark public law cases, including as a lead solicitor in the judicial review challenge to the government’s ‘Rwanda policy’. Sophie was named ‘Times Lawyer of the Week’ following the Court of Appeal’s ruling that the Rwanda policy was unlawful.  

Sophie represents individuals as well as NGOs and trade unions. Sophie represented the Public and Commercial Services Union in a successful challenge to the Secretary of State for the Home Department’s ‘pushbacks policy’, following which, the government withdrew its policy to forcibly redirect small boats in the English Channel back to France.

Sophie undertakes Inquiry work and is presently instructed as part of the Cranston Inquiry investigating the events of 24 November 2021, when at least 27 people died crossing the Channel. As a solicitor, she represented a Core Participant in the Brook House Inquiry into mistreatment at the immigration detention centre.

Administrative and Public Law

Overview

Sophie accepts judicial review instructions across a range of public law areas, including immigration, unlawful detention and education-related matters. Sophie has successfully challenged fresh claim refusals, negative trafficking decisions, unlawful detention and deportations and removals.

Sophie also works on judicial review cases with a discrimination angle, such as a challenge to the differential treatment of refugees, as introduced under the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.

Notable Cases

AAA & Ors v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2023] UKSC 42
Sophie was a lead solicitor in the judicial review challenging the Home Office’s Rwanda Removal Policy, to remove asylum seekers to Rwanda for them to seek asylum there, representing claimants before the High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights.

N.S.K. v. the United Kingdom (application no. 28774/22)
Sophie assisted in preparing a Rule 39 application to the ECtHR, which prevented removal to Rwanda on 14 June 2022.

(on the application of Public and Commercial Services Union) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2022] EWHC 823 (Admin)
Sophie was a lead solicitor in the judicial review challenging the Home Office’s proposed ‘Pushbacks Policy’, on behalf of the Public & Commercial Services Union. The challenge was brought on the basis that maritime enforcement powers do not permit Border Force officials to deploy pushback tactics, and such pushbacks would give rise to breaches of Articles 2 and 3 ECHR. She drafted the pre-action protocol letter and two central witness statements.

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Civil Liberties, Inquests & Inquiries

Overview

Sophie is instructed in the Cranston Inquiry Team, a non-statutory Inquiry tasked with investigating the events of 24 November 2021, when at least 27 people died crossing the Channel.

Sophie represented a Core Participant, a former detainee, in the Brook House Inquiry, a statutory Inquiry investigating the mistreatment of individuals who were detained at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre.

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Immigration Law

Overview

Sophie has a strong immigration background with over three years’ experience as a supervising solicitor working on complex immigration and asylum cases.

Sophie priorities client care and takes a trauma-informed approach to her work with vulnerable clients, including survivors of trafficking and torture. She is regularly instructed in statutory appeals and works collaboratively with instructing solicitors.

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Education Law

Overview

Sophie has considerable experience acting for both appellants and respondents in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) appeals across a range of issues and disability discrimination claims. Sophie also works on disability discrimination claims, both for and against high profile educational institutions.

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Sophie Lucas

Notable Cases & News

Background

Sophie completed her training contract at Farrer & Co, where she sat in the Employment, Corporate, Contentious Trusts and Private Immigration teams. Prior to this, Sophie worked as a legal advisor at a women’s legal aid centre in Arusha, Tanzania.

Awards

Named The Times ‘Lawyer of the Week following the Court of Appeal’s ruling that the government’s ‘Rwanda Removal Policy’ (to remove asylum seekers to Rwanda to seek asylum there) was unlawful.

Appearances

Sophie has been a regular commentator on refugee law and human rights for prime media outlets including BBC News, Newsnight, BBC Radio 4, Sky News, Channel 4 News, CNN, NPR, Al-Jazeera and Times Radio.

Sophie has spoken about major immigration legislation and policies, including the Nationality and Borders Act, the SSHD’s Pushbacks Policy, the Rwanda Removal Policy, the Illegal Migration Act and the Safety of Rwanda Act. Sophie debated a former Head of Border Force on a Live Sky News panel, following the cancellation of the first scheduled charter flight to Rwanda.

Education

BA(Hons), University of Oxford

Professional Memberships

  • JUSTICE
  • ILPA
  • Administrative Law Bar Association

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