Asylum case law
What British courts have established in cases like yours: plain-language analyses of the key precedents and a database of tribunal decisions for 12 countries.
UK asylum cases are decided not only by statute but by precedent: decisions of the higher courts bind the lower ones. Knowing the key cases helps you understand the system’s logic and speak the same language as your lawyer.
There are two sections. Precedents — analyses of Supreme Court decisions and country guidance: what exactly the court established. The tribunal database — all Upper Tribunal decisions we found for applicants from 12 countries, with outcomes and links to the official texts.
How to use this section
- Find your country in the tribunal database — see which cases actually reached the Upper Tribunal and how they ended. Discuss similar cases with your lawyer: a case reference is all they need.
- Read the precedent analyses: they explain the rules a court will apply to your case too — for example, that no one can be required to conceal their orientation or feign loyalty to a regime.
- Important: we do not give legal advice and do not assess your chances. A precedent is not a guarantee: every case is decided on its own facts. Applying case law to your situation is a lawyer’s job — find one in the lawyers directory.
Frequently asked questions
What is a precedent and why does it matter?
In British law, decisions of the higher courts bind the lower ones. If the Supreme Court has established a rule, the tribunal must apply it. That is why one case from 2010 can decide the outcome of thousands of cases today.
What is Country Guidance (CG)?
CG is a special type of Upper Tribunal decision: the tribunal examines the situation in a country and states conclusions binding on all later cases about that country. CG applies until the tribunal replaces it, though a court may depart from it on strong grounds with fresh evidence.
Can I cite a case in my own application?
Nothing formally stops you, but in asylum cases this is a lawyer’s job: a wrongly applied precedent damages a case. Showing your lawyer a case that looks similar to yours is genuinely useful. We do not advise on individual cases.
Why are the decisions in English?
Only the English original has legal force. Our analyses and translated quotes are unofficial: they help you understand the substance, but in court it is the original that counts.
Are all decisions about my country here?
No. The tribunal does not publish every decision, and its full-text search does not cover some older cases. We show what is published on the official decisions website and what we could reliably attribute to a country.