Special Immigration Appeals Commission
Encyclopedia
The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (also known by the acronym SIAC) is a superior court of record
in the United Kingdom
established by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission Act 1997 that deals with appeals from persons deported by the Home Secretary under various statutory powers, and usually related to matters of national security
. SIAC also hears persons deprived of British citizenship under the British Nationality Act 1981
as amended by Section 4 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002
.
An appellant is represented to the Commission by a special advocate
who is a person vetted
by the Security Service
with controversy surrounding the use of secret evidence which only the judges and special advocates have access to.
It previously had the power to certify a person as an international terrorist under Part 4 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001
until this was repealed by the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005
.
Court of record
In common law jurisdictions, a court of record is a judicial tribunal having attributes and exercising functions independently of the person of the magistrate designated generally to hold it, and proceeding according to the course of common law, its acts and proceedings being enrolled for a...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
established by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission Act 1997 that deals with appeals from persons deported by the Home Secretary under various statutory powers, and usually related to matters of national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
. SIAC also hears persons deprived of British citizenship under the British Nationality Act 1981
British Nationality Act 1981
The British Nationality Act 1981 was an Act of Parliament passed by the British Parliament concerning British nationality. It has been the basis of British nationality law since 1 January 1983.-History:...
as amended by Section 4 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002
Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002
The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It received Royal Assent on 7 November 2002....
.
An appellant is represented to the Commission by a special advocate
Special advocate
In the United Kingdom a Special Advocate is a lawyer usually a barrister or advocate, sometimes a solicitor, who has special rights of audience in accessing evidence that is otherwise restricted due to national security concerns...
who is a person vetted
Vetting
Vetting is a process of examination and evaluation, generally referring to performing a background check on someone before offering him or her employment, conferring an award, etc...
by the Security Service
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
with controversy surrounding the use of secret evidence which only the judges and special advocates have access to.
It previously had the power to certify a person as an international terrorist under Part 4 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001
Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001
The Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 was formally introduced into the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 19 November 2001, two months after the terrorist attacks on New York on 11 September. It received royal assent and came into force on 14 December 2001...
until this was repealed by the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005
Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005
The Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, intended to deal with the Law Lords' ruling of 16 December 2004 that the detention without trial of eight foreigners at HM Prison Belmarsh under Part 4 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001...
.