Graham Phillips, R (on the application of) v The London Borough of Islington

Facts

The claimant, Graham Phillips, purchased a property in the London Borough of Islington on 14 February 2003, which has since been his main residence, and met all liabilities on it, including council tax, until the Foreign Secretary designated him on 26 July 2022 under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. He was then in the Donbass region of Ukraine producing social media content for a YouTube channel he says had over 350,000 subscribers; following designation he lost access to his bank accounts and the channel was taken down after a petition by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. His administrative review was rejected, his application to set aside the designation under section 38 of the Sanctions and Money Laundering Act 2018 was dismissed by Johnson J on 12 January 2024, and the Court of Appeal refused permission to appeal on 9 May 2024. A council tax liability order was made on 13 July 2023 and his balance stood at £7,256.74 by April 2025. The council refused an exemption on 27 August 2025 and ended the stay on enforcement from 10 October 2025. DHCJ David Pittaway KC refused permission for judicial review on the papers on 14 May 2026, with costs; the claimant renewed his application orally.