Megan Smith
Megan Smith
Solicitor
Megan helps individuals and charities challenge decisions by the government, in particular in relation to the support provided to asylum seekers, survivors of torture and trafficking, and children in local authority care.
"Megan's kindness, dedication, and tireless efforts in handling my children’s ARAP case have brought immense relief to my entire family… Her work has made a lasting and profound impact on our lives, for which we are forever grateful."
Client
Background
Megan is a solicitor who specialises in public law and human rights. She joined the firm in July 2023. Megan has many years’ experience supporting individuals, NGOs and campaigners with complex cases.
Megan trained and qualified as a solicitor in the Public Law and Policy team at Hogan Lovells International LLP. Prior to joining DPG, Megan also worked at the Good Law Practice on strategic litigation against the UK Government and led REDRESS’ legal and policy work on the use of human rights sanctions.
She was a finalist in the Public Law Category of the Legal Aid Lawyers of the Year Awards in 2026.
Expertise
Megan helps individuals to challenge decisions that violate their rights and seek redress. She has experience of complex judicial review litigation and acts for particularly vulnerable individuals, including those who are seeking asylum in the UK, survivors of trafficking, torture and other ill-treatment, and unaccompanied children. Megan also represents NGOs seeking to challenge systemic issues.
Megan routinely acts for asylum seekers who are not being provided with the support they are entitled to in the UK and has led strategic litigation in relation to inadequate asylum accommodation. In April 2025, Megan gave expert evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee as part of its inquiry into asylum accommodation.
In recent years, Megan has also represented former high-ranking officials in the Afghan intelligence and security forces who, along with their families, face serious threats from the Taliban as a result of their work with the UK government. She has secured the reversal of the government’s refusals to relocate such individuals to the UK, and successfully challenged delays in the government’s decision-making.
Megan is also supervisor for the firms’ PAP Project which helps NGOs to challenge government decisions.
Sample Cases
Freedom from Torture and the Helen Bamber Foundation v SSHD [2026] EWHC 1278 (Admin): a challenge to the Home Office’s change in policy which removed longstanding protections for their clients and other survivors of torture, including the presumption that they should be accommodated in single rooms and excluded from ex-military sites/vessels. Our clients were successful on all grounds, with the Court finding that the Home Office was under a duty to consult them before making fundamental policy changes that impacted their clients. As a result, the Home Office’s Allocation of Asylum Accommodation policy has been amended. See reports here and here.
Various Claimants v SSHD: a challenge to the Home Office’s change in policy which resulted in newly granted refugees being given just 28 days to move on from asylum support and accommodation, which resulted in many facing street homelessness and destitution. The challenge resulted in a change to Home Office policy and prevented thousands of refugees from becoming homeless. See reports here and here.
CLI v SSHD: a challenge against the Home Office’s failure to provide safe and secure accommodation to a survivor of trafficking and serious violence, and to comply with its duties under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
BKG v SSHD: a challenge to the Home Office’s failure to provide our client and her young daughter, who had serious, life-threatening health concerns, accommodation near to the hospital providing essential urgent care.
MYM v SSFCDA and SSD: a challenge to the FCDO and Ministry of Defence’s delay in progressing our client’s application to have his family relocated to the UK from Afghanistan where they faced significant risk from the Taliban.
X1-X4 v SSFCDA: a challenge to the FCDO’s refusal of our client’s application to have his family relocated to the UK and their attempts to leave his family without any support in Pakistan while hiding from the Taliban.