Daniel Merriman

About Daniel Merriman

Daniel studied International History and International Politics at the University of Sheffield and graduated with first class honours, having specialised in 20th Century decolonisation. Following completion of his Graduate Diploma in Law, Daniel joined Wilsons as a caseworker in December 2013. He completed the Legal Practice Course LLM at the University of Law in the summer of 2015, achieving a Distinction. Daniel has been part of our Immigration team since 2015 and qualified as a solicitor in July 2018.

Daniel specialises in complex Asylum and Human Rights Appeal and Judicial Review work, whilst maintaining a private practice with clients based all over the world. He has extensive experience in Nationality, Refugee Family Reunion, Appendix FM, EU Settlement Scheme, Skilled Worker cases, whilst also representing clients in Entry Clearance and in-country applications and appeals outside the Immigration Rules based on Article 3 and 8 ECHR considerations.

Daniel deals proficiently with high profile, fast-paced cutting-edge litigation including co-ordination of the firm’s group claims and excels working within a team of lawyers to achieve the best results for his clients.

In 2022, Daniel obtained a Rule 39 Indication for a client threatened with removal to Rwanda on 14 June 2022 from the European Court of Human Rights in an urgent case of imminent risk of irreparable damage, which made national news. He represented the client in the successful lead proceedings R (on the application of AAA and others) (Respondents/Cross Appellants) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (Appellant/Cross Respondent) [2023] UKSC 42 challenging the government’s Rwanda policy up to and including in the Supreme Court, as the instructed solicitor leading the claimant’s legal team.

Daniel has discussed his work with domestic and International media in radio, television and newspaper interviews; including BBC World Service, the Law Gazette , NPR , the Guardian, the Financial Times , the i Paper, ITV, Arte TV, VRT NWS and Nederlands Dagblad .

Further, Daniel has involvement with Country Guidance matters, including the most recent Somalia country guidance case, OA (Somalia) (CG) [2022] UKUT 00033 . He continues to represent clients in Judicial Review challenges and also represents a number of clients threatened with criminal deportation in the Upper Tribunal.

Daniel’s work involves acting regularly for vulnerable clients, including those with lacking mental capacity to litigate, severe mental health issues and victims of trafficking, human rights abuses and torture; including in the detained settings of removals, third country cases, immigration bail and the detained asylum casework system.

Pro bono, Daniel has partaken in legal advice surgeries at the NNLS Destitute Asylum Seekers Drop in , at the Body and Soul charity and in the firm’s outreach work experience programme, which encourages aspiring lawyers in local schools from Secondary School age onwards. He has also provided advice at a local community surgery in Tottenham in the wake of the Windrush Scandal.

Daniel runs the Wilsons:FC football team.

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Interests: Travel, art/music and Spurs