The most senior judge in England and Wales said she has written to Sir Keir Starmer over last week’s Prime Minister’s Questions, telling reporters she was “deeply troubled”.
During Prime Minister’s Questions last week, Sir Keir said a decision allowing a Palestinian family the right to remain in the UK after they applied through a scheme designed for Ukrainian refugees was “wrong” and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper had got her team “working on closing this loophole”.
The family, who have been granted anonymity, had an appeal against the decision dismissed by a first-tier immigration tribunal judge in September and a further appeal was allowed by upper tribunal judges in January.
Where parties, including the government, disagree with their findings, they should do so through the appellate process
Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch raised the case, describing the tribunal decision as “completely wrong”.
The Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr said on Tuesday that she was “deeply troubled to learn of the exchanges” between Sir Keir and Mrs Badenoch.
Baroness Carr told reporters: “I think it started from a question from the opposition suggesting that the decision in a certain case and was wrong and obviously the Prime Minister’s response to that.
“Both question and the answer were unacceptable.
“It is for the Government visibly to respect and protect the independence of the judiciary.
“Where parties, including the Government, disagree with their findings, they should do so through the appellate process.”
