Helping Tribunals and Courts understand the customs, culture and reality of life in different regions

One of the big challenges that immigration lawyers and migration agents face is getting tribunals and courts to understand circumstances vastly different to what most of us will ever experience. Whether it's explaining the customary law relating to blood feuds, cultural differences relating to courtship and marriage or the reality of life in some perilous places in the world, there is a risk that decision-makers will question the credibility of an applicant's evidence because the customs and culture seem so different to what they are used to. I have the highest respect for advocates who can paint a vivid picture of the customs, culture and reality of life in the relevant area. As we assist the tribunal or court to understand our client's background and experience, we can elicit curiosity and empathy in the decision-maker, and create space for them to see the issues in the context of a culture or situation vastly different from their own.