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Policy briefings and submissions

Call for evidence: Independent Appeals Body (IAB)

The Government has proposed creating a new Independent Appeals Body (IAB) to hear asylum appeals, as part of wider reforms to speed up decision-making and reduce backlogs in the system. In May 2026, the Public Law Project (PLP) submitted evidence in response, raising serious concerns about the independence of the new body and the assumptions behind them. Read the

28 May 2026

Research

Price tag: How costs rules in judicial review undermine the rule of law and access to justice

Snapshot: Judicial review — a legal process that holds public bodies to account — is financially out of reach for most ordinary people 97% of legal practitioners surveyed said costs rules are an obstacle to the rule of law and access to justice People earning above just £32,000, the threshold for legal aid, frequently do not pursue or abandon legal claims

Blog

Here we go again: Three things PLP wants to see in Starmer’s King’s Speech

When Labour delivered its first King’s Speech after the party’s landslide victory in 2024, the political mood looked very different from the one surrounding today’s address. After catastrophic losses in last week’s local elections, growing uncertainty around the government’s policies and political identity has made this year’s speech particularly significant for anyone trying to understand

13 May 2026

Blog

Framing a crisis: How language and law shape each other in climate justice

Those working on the frontlines of social justice have long understood that change — be it political, cultural or systemic — does not come from the courtroom alone. The arguments we make, images we show, language we choose, and the tone we strike shape how problems are understood long before they are litigated. Narratives are the bridge between the world as

22 Apr 2026

Research

Collaborative legal approaches for systemic change report

Drawing on five years of collaboration, this report explores a programme led by Public Law Project with community groups and frontline organisations to advance shared legal approaches for social change. Authored by Professor Jacqueline Kinghan and Professor Lisa Vanhala. Read the report Using public law to tackle unfair systems can bring transformative and tangible change.

17 Mar 2026

Please note: Public law is a very fast moving area and some of the information will be out of date or overtaken by events. PLP accept no responsibility for the contents of these items.