Judges halt IS bride’s return to Britain
SHAMIMA BEGUM’S potential return to the UK has been put on hold after judges granted the Government the right to appeal against it.
The Supreme Court will now decide if the Islamic State bride, 20, who left east London to join the Islamist group in Syria in 2015, should be allowed to return to Britain to challenge the removal of her British citizenship by Sajid Javid, then home secretary.
The Court of Appeal ruled this month that “the only way in which she can have a fair and effective appeal is to be permitted to come into the United Kingdom to pursue her appeal”.
Lord Justice Flaux, sitting with Lady Justice King and Lord Justice Singh, said: “Fairness and justice must, on the facts of this case, outweigh national security concerns, so the leave to enter appeals should be allowed.”
The judge also found “the national security concerns about her could be addressed and managed if she returns to the UK”. At a remote hearing yesterday, the
Court of Appeal granted the Home Office permission to appeal at the Supreme Court.
Lady Justice King said the case raised “points of law of general public importance” that should be considered by the UK’S highest court.
She said that “clearly there must be a stay” on Ms Begum’s potential return to the UK “until further order by the Supreme Court”.
The judge also granted permission for Ms Begum’s lawyers to challenge the Court of Appeal’s decision that the absence of a fair and effective appeal did not mean her British citizenship should be restored, subject to the Supreme Court accepting that part of the case.
Sir James Eadie QC, for the Home Office, earlier said there was “a big issue at stake”, namely “what principles and approach should govern a case in which someone at present cannot have a fair and effective hearing in a deprivation appeal, but they cannot do so because they have placed themselves, not as a result of any of the Secretary of State’s actions, [but] where that is the result of going abroad and aligning with terrorist groups”.