William Young v Home Office

In William Young v Home Office [2014] UKFTT 930 – 3 October 2014 the FTT found that an appeal relating to the refusal to restore confiscated goods must be partially struck out.

Mr Young was found to be carrying 7 600 cigarettes when stopped at border control at Heathrow airport. The cigarettes were seized under CEMA 1979 s 139. He challenged the lawfulness of the seizure in condemnation proceedings at the magistrate’s court and sought restoration of the goods.

In March 2014 the magistrate’s court found that the cigarettes were for Mr Young’s personal use and had been unlawfully seized. In April 2014 the Border Force made a without prejudice offer of compensation to Mr Young. The offer was made by reference to the cost of purchasing the goods in Spain but Mr Young rejected it on the basis that he ought to be compensated by...