Erin Alcock
Associate
Erin is an associate in the human rights team
Erin is an associate in the human rights and public law team, specialising particularly in judicial review.
Erin has over seven years’ experience supporting NGOs, campaigners and individuals with public interest and high profile cases, particularly cases with an element of public international law, information rights, or the rights of refugees and migrants.
Legal expertise
- Acting for Afghan interpreters whose UK entry visas were refused on national security grounds, and had those decisions overturned (for example, AX v SSHD and AZ v SSHD).
- Acting for the claimant in the judicial review MKA v SSD, who successfully challenged the refusal of their application for relocation under ARAP.
- Judicial review challenges brought by Campaign Against Arms Trade against the government’s refusal to suspend licences for the sale and export of arms to Saudi Arabia.
- A reference to the Court of Justice of the European Union brought by Western Sahara Campaign UK the question of whether preferential trade tariffs could be applied to goods originating from Western Sahara, under trade agreements concluded with Morocco, and the new judicial review challenge brought by the group in relation to the UK post-Brexit trade deal with Morocco.
- An appeal brought by an environmental campaigner, supported by Global Justice Now, to the Information Tribunal arguing for disclosure of information about post-Brexit trade talks carried out by the Department of International Trade with various countries.
- The successful appeal brought by The Bureau of Investigative Journalists to the European Court of Human Rights about government mass surveillance, in particular where this interferers with the Article 10 rights of journalists.
- Friends of the Earth’s legal battle against proposals for a third runway at Heathrow airport, on the basis of climate change and the UK’s obligations under the Paris Agreement.
- Assisting Reprieve and their clients, who are victims of drone-strikes, at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
- The successful appeal brought by a journalist from OpenDemocracy to the Information Tribunal for information relating to the Freedom of Information Clearing House run by the Cabinet Office.
- Judicial review proceedings brought on behalf of a Chagossian woman in the Seychelles on behalf of her community in relation to their rights following their forced removal from the Chagos Islands.
- Working with local campaign group Together Against Sizewell C on their legal challenge to plans by EDF related to the development of a nuclear power facility in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the Suffolk coast.
- The successful challenge to the Immigration Exemption of the Data Protection Act, brought by Open Rights Group and the3million.
- Challenges brought by Palestinian families made refugees by the Syrian crisis to the UK resettlement schemes from which they are excluded on the basis of their Palestinian identity.
- Assisting Afghan patrol interpreters who worked for the British army with applications for resettlement in the UK under the various relocation schemes.
What our clients say
I cannot fault Leigh Day. Caring, empathetic and effective. Highly impressed.
MH, via Trustpilot
Erin achieved Fellowship status with the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) in August 2021, having graduated CILEx Law School in early 2020 with a Level 6 Diploma in Law and Practice. In 2019 Erin was nominated for a CILEx National Award, and received “Highly Commended” in the student category. She also holds a BSc in International Relations.
Erin was part of the JUSTICE Working Group responsible for the report, Reforming the Afghanistan Resettlement Schemes: the way forward for ARAP and ACRS published in August 2023.
Erin Alcock in the news
- Special forces blocked UK resettlement applications from elite Afghan troops BBC 19.2.24
- Tribunal notice: Airwars to challenge UK refusal over civilian harm next week Airwars News 24.11.23
- Victory for Afghan interpreters as Home Office backs down on visas Times 18.7.23
- Court allows review of UK visa rejections for ex-BBC journalists in Afghanistan Guardian 13.2.23
- Lawyer of the week: Erin Alcock, who acted for ex-BBC journalists in Afghanistan Times 23.2.23
- Revealed: Afghan journalists facing death threats and beatings, despite UK pledge to save them Observer 29.5.22
- Bureau challenges UK government to ensure its spying regime is lawful BIJ 29.7.21
- Bureau victory on protecting journalists from mass surveillance BIJ 25.5.21
- Mark Zuckerberg threatened to shift Facebook investment away from UK, papers reveal Independent 8.12.20
- TASC to continue legal action against destruction of Coronation Wood TASC 24.10.20
- Government Ordered To Reveal More Secrets About Post-Brexit Trade Talks Huff Post 14.9.20
- First Legal Challenge Against Post-Brexit Trade Agreement Launched Byline Times 24.3.21
- Why we’re taking the UK government to court to protect Freedom of Information Open Democracy 28.4.21
News and blogs
Appeal Court rules that Immigration Exemption in Data Protection Act is still unlawful
The Court of Appeal has ruled that the Immigration Exemption in the Data Protection Act 2018 is still unlawful despite the Government’s bid to prove that latest measures to bring it in line with safeguarding requirements listed in regulations are enough.
ARAP scheme housing requirement leaves Afghan families stranded in third countries
Afghan families who have been promised relocation to the UK are stranded in third countries because they have been told there is no suitable accommodation for them in this country.
Campaign Against Arms Trade court hearing to challenge sales of arms to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) has a judicial review court hearing on 31 January to challenge the UK government's decision to renew licences for arms sales to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) when the equipment might be used in Yemen.