Methoria

Methoria is a small legal and policy organisation founded in late 2015 by Catriona Jarvis, a former judge of the UK Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), and Syd Bolton (Philip Bolton), a children’s human rights lawyer. It was registered as a charity in England and Wales in 2020 (1188043).

Methoria works on projects that promote access to justice for the most vulnerable, particularly in the context of migration and asylum law, policy and practice.

Its work is currently structured around two programmes. First Rights advocates with and for refugee and migrant children. The Equal Justice for Migrant Children Project aims to establish a specialised court for these children, starting with a proposed pilot in the UK. The model is grounded in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and other international legal standards, with the intention of being transferable to other countries.

The second programme, Last Rights, focuses on addressing legal gaps and failures relating to deceased, missing and bereaved refugees and migrants. Supported by UK lawyer Ciaran King as a legal and administrative consultant, the project works to develop international best practice and procedures to ensure that their rights are respected. This work draws on the Mytilini Declaration of 11 May 2018 and the Memorial of Grief and Grievances of 24 March 2023.