Yosra, who has overseen cases involving the Taliban in crimes such as murder and kidnapping, was initially not part of the evacuation from Kabul despite being deemed eligible for resettlement under the Afghan relocations and assistance policy by British officials.

Yosra’s lawyers, from the firms Jenner & Block and Kingsley Napley, announced her victory on Thursday. The lawyers, who worked pro bono, expressed their satisfaction that both Yosra and her adult son “have been granted permission to enter the United Kingdom”. The pair, who were in hiding in Pakistan fearing Taliban retaliation or deportation to Afghanistan, arrived in June and reunited with their family members in the UK.

The law firms praised Yosra’s career, saying: “During her two-decade long career, the judge held senior positions in the Afghan criminal court system.”

They added: “She adjudicated cases involving the Taliban in crimes such as murder, kidnapping, violence against women, rape, terrorism offences, and conspiring against the Afghan government.”

Speaking about the legal victory, Yosra said: “Our initial hope to be granted a visa to come to the UK over time turned into hopelessness and despair”. However, she and her son now rejoice at their newfound safety in the UK, “We still cannot believe that the dream we didn’t even dare to dream for so long has finally become a reality.”

The mother and son are now focusing on their future in the UK, with Yosra learning English, and her son, a law graduate, aiming to acquire a UK legal qualification.

A Home Office spokesperson affirmed their commitment to protecting those at risk, “including female judges”, and confirmed that they have already brought approximately “24,500 people to the UK”.