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Rwanda & constitutional law

Long after it is repealed, the Safety of Rwanda Act will illustrate the fragility & vulnerability of fundamental constitutional principles, writes Graham Zellick KC

We read frequently of the concern of presidents and prime ministers, especially as their political lives are drawing to a close, over their legacy, the enduring contributions for which they will be remembered by posterity. I shall leave it for the political commentators and constitutional historians to reflect on Rishi Sunak’s legacy, but I confidently predict that his name will forever be associated with the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024, even long after it has been repealed (and, with a general election scheduled for 4 July, it is highly likely to be repealed by an incoming Labour government before the first flight has taken off).

This is not because of his efforts—heroic or desperate, depending on your point of view—to see his policy of removing illegal migrants and asylum seekers to Rwanda (to ‘stop the boats’, in his

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Slater Heelis—Charlotte Beck

Slater Heelis—Charlotte Beck

Partner and Manchester office lead appointed head of family

Civil Justice Council—Nigel Teasdale

Civil Justice Council—Nigel Teasdale

DWF insurance services director appointed to Civil Justice Council

R3—Jodie Wildridge

R3—Jodie Wildridge

Kings Chambers barrister appointed chair of R3 Yorkshire

NEWS

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An obscure Victorian tort may be heading for an unexpected revival after a significant Privy Council ruling that could reshape liability for dangerous escapes, according to Richard Buckley, barrister and emeritus professor of law at the University of Reading
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