Our Trainers

Navtej Singh Ahluwalia
Navi is a practicing barrister at Tooks Chambers specializing in public law, EU law and immigration and asylum law with over 12 years of experience in these areas. He is the former Assistant Director of Advice on Individual Rights in Europe , the AIRE Centre and former Head of International Legal Affairs at the Sikh Human Rights Group. He regularly teaches at seminars organized by the Council of Europe, UNHCR and non-governmental organizations for the judiciary and for civil society throughout central and eastern Europe.

Ali Bandegani
Ali is a non-practicing barrister. He works as a Legal Officer at the Refugee Legal Centre. Ali has been involved in several reported asylum decisions of the AIT and provides training for organisations including the RLC, Refugee Council, JCWI and Citizens Advice Bureau on all aspects of asylum, immigration and human rights law.

Derek Beoku-Betts
Derek was called to the Bar in 1986 and admitted as a solicitor in 1996. He has been working in the field of immigration, asylum and nationality law since 1987 both in private practice and within the voluntary sector. Until April 2008 he was the Casework Director of JCWI and is now in private practice.

Adrian Berry
Adrian is a barrister at Garden Court Chambers. He practices in immigration, housing, asylum support and community care. He specialises in national security issues in immigration hearings and in the Special Immigration Appeals Commission and has a particular interest in the use of EC law as a source of welfare rights. He has been actively involved in campaigning on public legal funding, on the terrorism laws and on access to justice. Adrian is also a contributor to the JCWI Handbook, the accompanying electronic updates as well as Macdonald's Immigration Law and Practice.

Michael Carter
Michael has worked as a Senior Solicitor of Lambeth Law Centre where he was the Immigration Unit supervisor. He has over 12 years experience as an immigration Caseworker. He has taught the immigration modules of the Masters Degree in Paralegal Studies and Advice and of the LLB degree at Metropolitan University . He has also taught immigration law on the ILEX course at Kingston College and has contributed to the JCWI electronic updates.

Azhar Chohan
Azhar is an experienced immigration caseworker. He was until recently the Immigration Unit supervisor at Paddington Law Centre. He has worked in three different law centres for the last 15 years. He has delivered training to community organisations, CABs and ILPA on immigration and nationality law. He has extensive experience of preparing and presenting immigration cases before immigration judges at AIT. He has been a panel member at UK Visas and a member of ILPA Family Sub-Committee. Since leaving the Law Centre in summer 2007 he has been a freelance appeals advocate for private practice and he has just finished a locum job with the IAS in Birmingham as an appeals counsellor where he dealt with a wide range of appeals including deportation appeals.

Tehmina Khan
Tehmina qualified as a solicitor in 2000 and is an Immigration specialist. In practice she was head of the Immigration department and a supervisor for Franchise purposes, dealing with both a private and public caseload. Tehmina is also a Senior Law Lecturer at London Metropolitan University lecturing on the Legal Practice Course, and is subject leader for Immigration.

Ranjiv Khubber
Ranjiv is a barrister at 1 Pump Court and practices in immigration, judicial review and criminal defence. He specialises in the inter-relationship between immigration, asylum law and welfare rights, and immigration and criminal law, and has been involved in public law challenges to the provision of the community care legislation to asylum seekers and those with immigration status. Ranjiv has also been involved in community organisations and anti-racist campaigning work.

Kate Lewis
Kate became involved with immigration and asylum law as a volunteer at JCWI in 1995. Since then she has worked in private practice and the voluntary sector. She was called to the Bar in 2003. She was a member of JCWI staff for around five years. During that time she was involved in and specialised in challenges to provision of support to people subject to immigration control, in particular as a result of the changes brought about by section 54 and 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. Kate transferred to become a solicitor and was admitted in August 2006. She is currently working in the Solicitors Unit at IAS undertaking predominantly Judicial Review and Court of Appeal work

Maya Naidoo
Maya is a barrister at Garden Court Chambers practising in immigration, housing and social welfare law. Having begun her career at the Bar providing representation in asylum, human rights and immigration appeals, she now specialises in the intersecting areas of immigration and housing law. She has an LLM in European Community Law from the College of Europe, Bruges , and a particular interest in eligibility for housing assistance of EEA nationals and persons subject to immigration control.

Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU)
GMIAU?has been in existence since 1989 and specialises in providing expert advice and legal representation on all issues of immigration, nationality and asylum. GMIAU is a non-profit making organisation and provides a non-fee paying service.

Amir Zaidi
Amir is a barrister with over 8 years experience in Immigration Law and Practice, including asylum, EEA matters and Nationality. He practices at 1 Mitre Court Buildings, the Chambers of Lord Gifford QC, formerly 8 Kings Bench Walk. He has appeared extensively in both the High Court and the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal. He is a trainer and marker on the Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme. He also is a Panel member on the Legal Services Commission Review Panel. He holds a Masters degree in Immigration and Asylum Law. A former volunteer for JCWI, Amir advises many law centres and not for profit organisations on Immigration Law. Amir is also an accredited mediator.