Judge who controversially allowed knife-wielding drug dealer to stay in UK was on pro-asylum charity board

The Sun

12 hours ago

A JUDGE who controversially allowed a knife-wielding drug dealer to stay in the UK was on the board of a pro-asylum charity.
Fiona Beach declared Christian Quadjovie, 26, was not a threat to the public.
The French-born crook had been locked up for a total of 963 days since arriving here aged ten in 2009.
But he was granted a reprieve by Judge Beach, an ex-director at Asylum Aid who represented migrants for free on behalf of the Bail for Immigration Detainees charity.
The decision has since been overturned after Government lawyers claimed her judgment was 'made against the weight of evidence'.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick said Judge Beach's apparent conflict of interest 'undermines confidence' in the courts.
He added: 'This is the latest example of an immigration judge with open borders views.
'The similarity between her decisions and the political views she has broadcast totally undermines confidence in the system. Judges must be independent.'
Last night, in a letter seen by The Sun on Sunday, Mr Jenrick made a formal request to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office to probe whether Judge Beach, 54, had declared her previous roles.
In 2005 and 2007, she was listed in a 'thank you' section of the Bail in Immigration annual report, and named as a barrister volunteering to represent its clients in court.
Records show she was a director of Asylum Aid between September 2004 and February 2007.
Judicial sources insisted she stepped back from the group in December 2006 when appointed as a part-time judge.
In 2018 she was made a salaried tribunal judge. She first heard Quadjovie's case in April 2024.
He was first convicted as a boy of 12 after sexually assaulting a girl under 13.
In 2016, he was given a nine-month referral order for carrying a knife in public.
Later that year, he was convicted of drug offences. He was detained for 30 months and caught with more drugs after his release.
The Home Office tried to deport him but he argued he would not be able to reintegrate in France.
A judiciary spokesman said all judges took an oath to remain impartial.
He added: 'In each case, judges make decisions based on the evidence and arguments presented, and apply the law as it stands.'
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Channel returns ratings plan axe
By Thomas Godfrey
HOME Office bosses have scrapped a plan to get a trendy research company to award them marks out of ten for returning asylum seekers — thanks to the Sun on Sunday.
The department gave The Social Agency a deal worth almost £250,000 to carry out an 'evaluation of asylum returns policy'.
It was agreed shortly after PM Sir Keir Starmer revealed his one-in, one-out deal with France to remove small boat migrants.
But after The Sun on Sunday asked for comment on why so much was being spent on the review, bosses axed it.
A Home Office spokesperson said: 'This particular contract was not approved at the right level and is therefore being withdrawn.'
Contract details emerged as the number of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats since Labour took power last summer passed 50,000.
The Social Agency, based in Hackney, East London, was initially awarded £237,786 over the 32-month deal, which was to run ran from this month until March 2028.