Article

John Quaquah Victory

The High Court on December 15 1999 quashed a decision of the Home Secretary to deport John Quaquah, an asylum seeker who is in the middle of suing the Home Office after events at Campsfield Immigrant Detention Centre in 1997.

John Quaquah was detained at Campsfield in August 1997 when he, and eight others, were charged with offences of riot and spent ten months in prison before coming to trial. All nine were acquitted of those charges after the criminal trial collapsed in June 1998 when the evidence of Group 4 employees - running the detention centre under a private contract - was found to be unreliable. The behaviour of these Group 4 officers was, described in the following terms in the High Court decision: 'It was accepted on behalf of the Secretary of State that if the conduct of the Group 4 officers both during the incident of unrest itself as well as their conduct in giving unreliable/false evidence was established then it satisfied the description of having been "wicked".'

After his acquittal, Mr Quaquah sought to bring a claim for damages for malicious prosecution against the Home Office as well as Group 4. He was then served with a deportation order. However the High Court ruled on 15 December that the deportation order should be quashed for failing to pay proper regard to the requirements of Article 6 of the European Convention of Human Rights and the requirements of the new Civil Procedure Rules, both of which require an 'equality of arms' for parties engaged in litigation. Put simply this means that Jack Straw’s attempt to avoid being sued by deporting someone has failed.

John’s solicitor, Mark Scott of Bhatt Murphy Solicitors, commented that: 'My client is delighted that the court has recognised his right to seek redress through the courts on an even playing field for his treatment at Campsfield House. The stress arising from that treatment and the uncertainty about his situation in this country has been extremely difficult for him. I trust that the Home Secretary will accept this judgement and will not make any further attempts to deport him. I hope he has now learnt that he should not deploy the battery of powers at his disposal in any way which suggests even an appearance of unfair advantage in the face of action brought by individuals against him.'

In fact Straw has learnt no such thing. Group 4 are amongst the front runners, along with weirdo godbotherer private prisons outfit Wackenhut, to run the new “open” detention centre at Oakington. The Campsfield 9 campaign to try and teach the Home Office a lesson goes on.

contact: Campsfield Nine Defence Campaign 01865 557282 or 07961 392 510. More info on anti-deportation website at http://www.ncadc.demon.co.uk