PIL challenges ill-treatment of women and children at Yarl's Wood

Public Interest Lawyers has issued an application for judicial review on behalf of several detainees at Yarl's Wood Immigration Detention Centre in Bedfordshire.

Our clients complain of interferences with their rights under Articles 3, 5 and 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The case represents a frontal challenge to the Home Office's policy of indefinite detention and ill-treatment of some of the most vulnerable people in our society. We are calling for a declaration that administrative detention of children is unlawful and for the Home Secretary to announce an independent inquiry into the allegations.

The Home Office has until 15 March 2010 to lodge its defence with the High Court.