Amelia recently represented the Secretary of State for the Home Department in the High Court in a judicial review claim challenging a decision to revoke a sponsor’s licence.
In short, the Claimant was sent two separate emails, in July and August 2025, asking for documents to be provided in light of the SSHD’s concern that their sponsored workers were not being paid in accordance with what was said on their Certificate of Sponsorship. Both emails also warned that failure to respond would likely result in the Claimant’s sponsor licence being revoked. The Claimant did not respond to either of those emails. In light of the lack of response, the SSHD revoked the Claimant’s sponsor licence on the basis that there had been a breach of Annex C2(e) of the Guidance, as there had been a failure to co-operate with the earlier requests in the emails. After the decision had been made and upon the Claimant becoming aware of the revocation, the Claimant stated that both of the emails had gone to their spam email folder, such that they were unaware of them.
The Claimant advanced four grounds: (a) the decision was procedurally unfair, (b) there had been a failure to follow policy guidance, (c) the decision was irrational, and (d) there had been a material mistake of fact. All four grounds were dismissed by HHJ Dight CBE (sitting as a High Court judge) at a substantive judicial review hearing in the High Court. HHJ Dight also found that even if the Claimant had succeeded on any of the grounds the Claimant would not be entitled to the relief that it sought as s.31(2A) of the Senior Courts Act 1981 applied; had the Claimant provided the documents requested in the email correspondence then they would have shown that the Claimant had failed to comply with the obligations in the sponsor licence guidance to pay the migrant workers what they were due, such that the SSHD would have revoked the licence in any event.
Amelia is often instructed in judicial review matters and is listed in the Legal 500 as a leading junior for immigration law. Georgina Pein, who has a growing public law practice, also attended the hand‑down of the judgment in this matter. Amelia was instructed by the Government Legal Department.
