“If judges want to campaign for their political beliefs, they should quit the profession and do so in the democratic arena. Otherwise, they compromise the independence of the judiciary” says Robert Jenrick.
One of Britain’s top immigration judges has been exposed for sharing a string of far-left, anti-Conservative and pro-open borders views, raising serious concerns about the political neutrality of the judiciary.
Dubliner Greg Ó Ceallaigh is a UK barrister specialising in human rights, asylum and immigration, civil and public law. He is the eldest son of Jim and Elizabeth Kelly, Stillorgan, Ireland and has been accused of undermining public confidence in UK courts after a series of highly political social media posts were unearthed.
He was made Deputy Judge of the Upper Tribunal, Immigration and Asylum Chamber, in 2023 and appointed King’s Counsel (KC) in March 2024.
In a series of tweets on X (formerly Twitter), Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has accused Ó Ceallaigh of compromising the independence of the judiciary and called for urgent reform of the Judicial Appointments Commission.
Jenrick posted: “Who are the judges that decide immigration cases? Well, let me lift the lid. Meet Greg Ó Ceallaigh. He specialises in asylum and deportations. Here’s a snapshot of his social media, where he reveals his far-left and open border views. He was appointed a deputy upper tribunal judge last year.”
Pro-Migration Posts and Political Attacks on Government
Among the posts highlighted by Jenrick is one in which Judge Ó Ceallaigh publicly backs the repeal of the Illegal Migration Act, a key piece of legislation aimed at reducing illegal immigration and tackling people smuggling.
In one repost, he shared:
“Section 29 of the Illegal Migration Act needs to go, along with the rest of it. It was a bad piece of legislation and this Government is doing the right thing by scrapping most of it. But it should go the final mile and wash its hands of the whole thing.”
He has also expressed strong support for reversing Brexit, and in 2019 posted a poem attacking senior Conservative figures including Boris Johnson and Theresa May.
The tweet read:
“Boris and Davis and May
One lies, one’s thick, one’s grey
These terrible crooks
So different in looks
Should not have the final say
#PeoplesVoteMarch #PutitToThePeople #RevokeArt50”
Even more inflammatory was a tweet from 2012, in which he compared the Conservative Party to Nazis, cancer and lava.
He wrote:
“The Tory party conference helpfully clarified things: voting for a third party is not an option. They need to be dealt with as you would deal with the nazis, cancer or lava. They are a party for whom the expression ‘at all costs’ was invented.”
Concerns Over Judicial Impartiality
Ó Ceallaigh has recently presided over several high-profile immigration cases, including one in which he upheld the decision to block the deportation of a Greek drug dealer, arguing that it would infringe the individual’s private life.
While it is difficult to prove that Ó Ceallaigh’s strong political views influenced that decision, Jenrick said the overlap between his online activity and his rulings “brings this into sharper focus”.
He warned:
“If judges want to campaign for their political beliefs, they should quit the profession and do so in the democratic arena. Otherwise, they compromise the independence of the judiciary.”
Call for Accountability and Reform
Jenrick also levelled sharp criticism at the Judicial Appointments Commission, which he accused of failing to properly vet candidates for key roles in the legal system.
“What we can safely say is that the political views he has broadcast totally undermine confidence in the system,” he wrote.
“Why isn’t the Judicial Appointments Commission properly vetting candidates? The British people are sick of activist judges and the mounting evidence of a highly politicised legal system.”
He added:
“The judiciary must win back their confidence. Confidence would be partially restored if there was some accountability.
The head of the Judicial Appointments Committee is failing badly.
She must be sacked.”
Mounting Public Concern
The case has reignited concerns over the politicisation of Britain’s legal system, particularly in the field of immigration law, where a number of recent rulings have blocked deportations or overturned government policy.
Ó Ceallaigh’s online activity will now raise fresh questions over how judges are appointed, and whether political neutrality is being properly upheld — or even monitored.
The Ministry of Justice and the Judicial Appointments Commission have not yet commented on the revelations.
Screengrab taken from webinar by Garden Court Chambers.
Aren’t judges supposed to a little… older? More experienced?
And he’s from Ireland? How does someone from another country get to be a judge in the UK?
That needs to change.