Court of Appeal success for Imran Shafi

February 2, 2018

Imran Shafi from Exchange Chambers has successfully resisted a prosecution application to appeal a terminating ruling at the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division).

Mr Shafi had previously made a successful submission of no case to answer in an Immigration facilitation case. His client (AK) was indicted with three others with Conspiracy to Facilitate Illegal Immigration. The four defendants were alleged to have variously controlled or worked at a private college which the prosecution alleged was a hotbed of cheating and fraud. It was suggested that bogus qualifications were deployed by non-EU students in order to obtain visas to stay and study in the UK.

Following four weeks of prosecution evidence HHJ Goddard Q.C. agreed with the defence submissions that there was insufficient evidence to establish the pleaded objectives of the various conspiracies. The prosecution pursued an appeal against this ruling and the matter was heard today. In a judgement delivered by Lady Justice Rafferty, the Court of Appeal agreed with the defence analysis of the indictment and refused to grant the prosecution leave to appeal. Mr Shafi was instructed by Imran Khan of Solomons Solicitors.

Imran is a criminal defence specialist who is instructed in the most serious criminal matters. He is frequently retained to defend serious drugs conspiracies, murder, gang violence and large scale immigration facilitation cases.