Minister wins Supreme Court appeal affecting over 250 refugee applications

The Minister and State had appealed against a Court of Appeal (COA) decision in proceedings by a Pakistani mother and her three children who originally went to the UK on a visiting visa. File photo: iStock

The State has won an important Supreme Court appeal affecting more than 250 people who claim, on humanitarian grounds, their applications for refugee status should be decided here and not transferred to another EU state.

Today, a five-judge court ruled the Minister for Justice retains discretion concerning any transfer of such applications and has not devolved it onto the International Protection Office and International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT).