Persecution Expert is a United Kingdom service. We connect immigration solicitors, barristers, and Legal Aid practitioners with persecution expert witnesses for First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal proceedings in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Our content addresses UK asylum law, Home Office decision-making, and Immigration Tribunal practice. We do not provide expert witness matching for courts, tribunals, or immigration systems outside the UK.
Core Credentials
Persecution expert witnesses hold academic expertise (PhD, MA in relevant disciplines including political science, law, sociology, human rights, and international relations), field research experience, and familiarity with UK asylum law and tribunal practice. Experts comply with Immigration Tribunal Practice Direction paragraph 10 (2023) and have prior tribunal acceptance records.
- Advanced academic qualification in a relevant discipline
- Demonstrable field research or professional experience
- Familiarity with Refugee Convention grounds and Qualification Directive
- Knowledge of leading authority: HJ (Iran) [2010], RT (Zimbabwe) [2012], MOJ (Somalia) [2014]
- Immigration Tribunal Practice Direction compliance
- Prior tribunal acceptance and oral evidence experience where applicable
Thematic vs Country Expertise
Persecution experts may have either thematic expertise (LGBTQ+ persecution across multiple countries) or country-specific expertise (single country in-depth knowledge). The choice depends on the specific claim profile.
For Convention ground analysis, state protection, and persecution methodology, a thematic persecution expert is typically instructed. For granular country conditions, a country expert may supplement the persecution expert report. Many complex claims benefit from both.
Expert Duties: Immigration Tribunal
Expert witnesses in immigration proceedings owe their primary duty to the tribunal, not the instructing party. They must maintain independence and objectivity throughout the instruction process. Expert reports must contain a statement of truth and comply with the Adam Pipe Expert Reports guide (October 2025).
See our how reports work page and expert report standards guide for full details on report requirements.