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Adjudicators and Support Staff Main Objectives

Chief Asylum Support Adjudicator (CASA)

The CASA has overall responsibility to the Secretary of State for the implementation and delivery of an efficient and effective appeal scheme for the asylum support system. This includes oversight of the appeal scheme, including the arrangements for listing cases, organising the hearings and for disseminating the adjudicators' determinations and setting the overall standard of the work of the adjudicators.

The CASA is responsible for the external relations and is overall representative of the AST in the public forum. The CASA maintains involvement in case working by personally determining complex cases or those perceived as having “landmark“ implications.

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Deputy Chief Asylum Support Adjudicator (DCASA)

The DCASA has responsibility through the CASA for the implementation and delivery of an efficient and effective appeal scheme for the asylum support system. This includes responsibility for setting the delivery of strategic objectives and targets.

The DCASA is responsible for overseeing the day to day organisational and management needs for the adjudicators. The DCASA deputises for the CASA in their absence and also hears appeals sitting as an adjudicator.

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Asylum Support Tribunal Adjudicators

The adjudicators are responsible for determining appeals within set time limits and for delivering a fair, efficient and effective appeal scheme for the asylum support system. They determine appeals against decisions that individual asylum seekers do not qualify for support.

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Support Staff

AST support staff are responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the tribunal process. At hearings, they have the important role of being the first point of contact for appellants.

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Centre Manager

The centre manager for the Asylum Support Tribunal has overall responsibility for the effective and efficient operational and strategic management of the AST.

He/ she is also responsible for the management of the AST support staff team ensuring that the performance standards and customer service targets, as set out in the AST Business Plan, are met.. The centre manager is responsible for securing and managing the appropriate level of resources to meet the business needs of the organisation. They also investigate and manage all complaints made to the AST, ensuring that they are handled in accordance with the Tribunals Service Complaints Procedure.

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Clerk to the Adjudicators

The clerks to the adjudicators are mainly responsible for the administrative preparation of appeal cases. Their duties include maintaining the appeals database used to monitor the timely and accurate progress of all appeals and decisions, as well as ensuring that an interpreter is arranged, when requested, for all hearings.

Ushers

Our Ushers facilitate the smooth running of oral hearings and act as an information point for appellants and representatives. At the end of the hearing an usher will hand over the adjudicator's written decision to the appellant, representative and presenting officer, clear the hearing room and prepare it for the next appeal hearing.

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Asylum Support Tribunal organisation structure

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Support staff organisation structure

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