Professor Rob George was one of three counsel representing children’s rights charity Article 39 in Article 39 v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2023] EWHC 1398 (Fam) a ground-breaking case about the scope of wardship and the inherent jurisdiction. The case concerned a number of ‘missing’ unaccompanied asylum-seeking (UAS) children, who disappeared from Home Office-run hotel accommodation. While the court ultimately declined to use its wardship jurisdiction, the case shows that a charity can make such an application, and brought into the open a large amount of previously unknown information about the Home Office’s involvement with these cases and the responsibilities of local authorities in safeguarding UAS children.
