Lawyers discuss reparations and migration

Human rights lawyers Jacqueline McKenzie and Frances Swaine are set to engage audiences at the upcoming Commonwealth Law Conference in Malta in 2025. McKenzie, a partner and head of the immigration and asylum law team at Leigh Day, will deliver a talk focused on Reparatory Justice and Reparations for the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Her expertise lies in a diverse range of immigration matters, particularly representing asylum seekers and refugees.

Swaine, a consultant solicitor, works alongside McKenzie on the immigration team, with a specific focus on clients applying for the Windrush Compensation Scheme. She has a significant history with Leigh Day, having established the human rights department and previously served as the firm's managing partner.

In her presentation, McKenzie will address vital discussions around the need for reparations, stating “There has been a discourse in the media where people have ignorantly assumed that enslavement and its impacts are in the past. However, its legacy remains to be felt deeply across nations.” She urges a collective effort to confront these historical injustices and their ongoing effects.

Swaine’s contributions will include topics such as ‘I had no choice but to flee - surely I must be welcome to seek to live here?’ and ‘The misuse of migration law and does the rule of law apply on the high seas?’. Her focus will revolve around the disparities in treatment towards migrants and refugees seeking sanctuary in the UK, which she argues often appear racially motivated. “The misuse of migrant law further strips individuals seeking safety and new opportunities of basic rights. Where they should be greeted with compassion, they instead face hostility and punishment,” Swaine has expressed.

The five-day conference will serve as a precursor to Leigh Day’s Immigration Summit on 29 April 2025, a gathering of prominent experts and policymakers worldwide to discuss pressing immigration law and policy matters. This year's Commonwealth Law Conference follows the participation of McKenzie and Swaine in 2023, where they addressed important issues such as model litigant rules and refugee rights. Their upcoming speeches reflect a continued commitment to rectifying historical and contemporary injustices in law and society.