Controversy erupted Friday after the Court of Appeal overturned a local council’s attempt to shut down a migrant hotel, sparking outrage over alleged judicial bias. The lead judge in the case, Lord Justice David Bean, is now facing formal complaints for undisclosed ties to far-left political groups and the Labour Party.
The ruling sided with the Home Office against Epping Forest District Council in Essex, which had secured a High Court injunction to close the Bell Hotel in Epping. The hotel became a flashpoint following the arrest of an illegal migrant from Ethiopia accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in the town. The incident provoked widespread protests among local residents, who raised concerns about public safety and the growing number of illegal migrants housed in their community.
In court, Home Office barrister Edward Brown KC argued that the residents’ safety concerns did not outweigh the government’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights to provide shelter to asylum seekers. Brown stated there was a “national interest in ensuring vulnerable individuals, namely asylum seekers, are accommodated.”
In delivering the judgment, Lord Justice Bean ruled that protests and local backlash were outweighed by “public interest factors” and maintaining the legal “status quo” ahead of a future trial. The decision marks a significant win for the Labour-led government, which is currently housing over 30,000 alleged asylum seekers—many of whom entered illegally via the English Channel—in hotels across the UK.
However, the ruling has come under sharp scrutiny. Prominent barrister Steven Barrett has filed a complaint with the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office, arguing that Lord Justice Bean should have recused himself due to clear political and ideological conflicts. Barrett cited Bean’s role as a founding member of Matrix Chambers—a law firm known for championing pro-migration cases—and his long-time membership in the Labour Party, as well as his past leadership of the socialist Fabian Society.
Barrett accused the judge of failing to apply the legal test of “apparent bias,” which requires not only impartiality but also the appearance of fairness. Critics argue that Lord Justice Bean’s political affiliations and connections to groups that openly advocate for open borders cast doubt on the objectivity of his judgment.
Matrix Chambers also counts Cherie Blair KC among its founders, the wife of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, under whose Labour government many of Britain’s liberal immigration laws and “human rights” frameworks were expanded.
The Fabian Society, which Lord Justice Bean once chaired, has long advocated for progressive immigration policies. In a 2019 Fabian Society publication, now-Foreign Secretary David Lammy called for an “amnesty for undocumented migrants” and demanded broader rights for asylum seekers. Founded in 1884, the Fabian Society’s original coat of arms depicted a wolf in sheep’s clothing—symbolizing its slow, strategic push for socialist policies through cultural and institutional influence.
The Court of Appeal’s ruling now threatens similar legal efforts by other local councils trying to resist the government’s mass migrant housing plan. The case raises broader questions about judicial neutrality and the unchecked power of unelected courts in overriding local community concerns in favor of controversial international obligations.
