Family Law

Gillian Geddes

Barrister, 2-3 Hind Court:    

Historically, immigration law practitioners have faced difficulties trying to communicate effectively with the UK BA (formerly the Home Office) on behalf of their clients.  For non-immigration law practitioners who have clients subject to immigration control, these communications can seem even more perplexing, particularly as the UK BA's terminology can baffle those not accustomed to it.  Would you be comfortable knowing your client is 'on TA' and subject to 'NAM'?  Would you be happy with your client having 'LOTR'?  Or worse, having 'RDs'?  To some it might seem that the UK BA has cornered the market in the use of acronyms, and its terminology can confuse practitioners, changing and adapting as it does with the passage of time and the introduction of new processes and legislation.  This article, the second in the series, 'Foreign Lands', explores this rather strange language and offers an insight and understanding for family practitioners into the UK BA's most commonly-encountered expressions, and hopefully a way through the maze.

The full version of this article appears in the March 2013 issue of Family Law.