[2023] UKUT 193 (AAC)

I held an online hearing of the appeal on 21 July 2021. I would like to take the opportunity to apologise once again to the parties that my long-term ill-health has led to such an unacceptable delay between the hearing and the promulgation of this decision. I should stress, however, that the hearing was recorded and therefore my memory of the submissions that were made has not dimmed.

At the hearing, the claimant appeared in person, Gravesham were represented by their appeals officer, Courtney Harvey, and the Secretary of State was represented by John Paul Waite of counsel instructed by the Government Legal Department.

I am grateful to all the parties for their helpful submissions, both written and oral. However, I must single out the claimant for special mention. Despite the importance of the matter to him, and the fact that he has no legal training, he presented his case persuasively and thoroughly, but without taking obviously bad points, and with a moderation and discretion that many junior barristers of his age fail to bring to the affairs of their clients. I am confident that he will succeed in his chosen field of life, but he is a loss to the legal profession.