Michael joined Coal Lex Chambers as a pupil in 2019.
He has over 20 years Post Call experience. He was already an accomplished immigration practitioner whose practice (McGarvey Immigration & Asylum Practitioners Ltd) was the subject of the in-depth and critically acclaimed BBC2 TV documentary ‘Who Should Get To Stay in the UK?’ as well as the BBC Radio 4 programme ‘The Untold’. Michael practises principally in Immigration, Asylum and Human Rights Law although he has demonstrated considerable skill in some civil cases and recently conducted a successful Appeal Against Conviction in The Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) in a groundbreaking case involving the alleged smuggling of cannabis.
Michael has conducted hundreds of first tier and upper tier tribunal appeals, famous amongst these was The Country Guidance case of BM & Others (2015) UKUT 00293 (IAC).
Michael’s consummate skill is demonstrated by the many satisfied clients he has represented. Michael is accredited as an Immigration Senior Caseworker (Supervisor) under The Law Society Accreditation Scheme and was formerly an OISC Level 3 Advisor.
He was appointed to the Advisors’ Panel of The Immigration Services Commissioner. He is a member of The Immigration Lawyers Practitioners’ Association and has lectured on the Bar Professional Training Course in Bristol teaching Refugee Law.
David Leathley (Pupil-Master) says of Michael, ‘He is the first of his kind at Coal Lex, being an academic lawyer of such prowess that he was invited to contribute in the field of VAT Law by the editors of no less a tome than HALSBURY’S LAWS OF ENGLAND. Michael has a burgeoning practice as well as a passion for smuggling cases having previously worked for what was then Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise as a Specialist Investigator’.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- LLB (HONS) (UPPER SECOND);
- BVC (VERY COMPETENT);
- LLM (CRIMINAL JUSTICE INCLUDING REFUGEE LAW).
