Nusrat Uddin at the Law Society Excellence Awards 2019

Wilson’s Nusrat Uddin had another successful night at the Law Society Excellence Awards 2019 after being Highly Commended in the Human Rights Solicitor of the Year category. The award celebrates excellence and outstanding achievement in human rights and recognises solicitors whose sheer dedication has made an exceptional contribution to the promotion, protection and advancement of human rights. Nusrat’s nomination was endorsed by several leading barristers and NGOs. Here’s what the judges said: “Nusrat Uddin impressed the judges with her vital work for survivors of human trafficking and lifechanging work around asylum seekers. She was also awarded a research fellowship by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust to compare the UK’s models of support for victims of trafficking to those in other countries.” Nusrat’s particular passion is obtaining legal redress for survivors of human trafficking who are receiving inadequate social welfare support and protection. She was the solicitor for one of the Claimants in R (on the application of K & AM) v SSHD [2018] EWHC 2951 (Admin) where the Administrative Court declared that the decision of the Home Office to cut weekly benefits to asylum-seeking victims of trafficking by over 40% – from £65 to £37.75 per week – was unlawful. It is testament to Nusrat’s commitment to improving the support provided to survivors that she remains actively involved with key stakeholders who are liaising with the Home Office in the development of this key guidance. Nusrat works tirelessly in our Public Law Team for clients who remain vulnerable and at risk of exploitation despite being recognised as victims of modern slavery. She successfully obtained safeguarding support and accommodation from the Local Authority for a recognised victim who had been left homeless and was being further exploited. Her work is at the forefront of strategic legal efforts to bring the state’s obligations to victims of trafficking within the remit of Local Authority safeguarding duties. Nusrat’s keen awareness of the importance of policy work alongside litigation led her to provide oral evidence to the Home Affairs Committee Inquiry on Modern Slavery, House of Commons, on 15 January 2019. Nusrat has also had significant involvement with the media in an effort to raise awareness of issues in relation to support and social welfare for victims of trafficking.In 2017, Nusrat was instrumental in securing the firm’s first Legal Aid funding to allow victims of trafficking to make compensation claims against their traffickers. Nusrat is also currently challenging diplomatic immunity for a trafficker in the Employment Tribunal. In addition to her work on behalf of survivors of trafficking Nusrat brings cases challenging the unlawful detention of migrants by the Home Office and has devoted much time to assisting unaccompanied migrant children to gain support from social services, including unaccompanied minors based in migrant camps across Europe who were reunited with family members in the UK. See the full list of winners from the night here. If you require advice or representation in connection with such public law matters please contact Penny Visram on 0208 885 7924 or p.visram@wilsonllp.co.uk