Re Suyatmi

HCAL 325/2019

[2022] HKCFI 3787

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE

HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE

CONSTITUTIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW LIST

NO 325 OF 2019

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Before:  Deputy High Court Judge Bruno Chan in Chambers

Date of Hearing:  14 December 2022

Date of Decision:  28 December 2022

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D E C I S I O N

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1.On 14 April 2022 I refused to grant leave to the applicant to apply for judicial review of the decision of the Torture Claims Appeal Board (“Board”) in rejecting/dismissing her appeal/petition regarding her non-refoulement claim upon finding that none of her proposed grounds were reasonably arguable for her intended challenge, that there was no error of law or procedural unfairness in the process before the Director of Immigration (“Director”) or the Board or in their decisions, and that there was no reasonable prospect of success in her intended application.

2.The applicant now by a summons issued on 20 July 2022 seeks extension of time to appeal against that decision, as the 14-day period for her to file her appeal under Order 53 rule 3(4) of the Rules of the High Court, Cap 4A expired on 28 April 2022, and hence she was almost 3 months late with her intended appeal.

3.In considering whether to extend time for appealing against a decision refusing leave to apply for judicial review, the court shall have regard to (i) the length of the delay; (ii) the reason for the delay; (iii) the prospect of the intended appeal; and (iv) the prejudice to the respondent if an extension of time were granted: see Re MK HCMP 2609/2016, 10 January 2017; Chu On Fong Winter v The Appeal Panel (Housing) HCMP 982/2017, 20 July 2017; Islam Raja Rais v Director of Immigration HCMP 881/2017, 26 June 2017; Re Gurung Min Bahadur [2018] HKCA 226; and Re Saqlain Muhammad [2018] HKCA 346.

4.In the applicant’s case, a delay of almost 3 months must be considered as very substantial and inordinate, for which she explained at the hearing of her summons that she did not file her appeal right after receiving the decision because she was unrepresented and not aware of the requirement to do so within 14 days, and by the time she was ready to file her appeal, she was already out of time.

5.The court record shows that the decision was sent on the same day to the applicant’s last reported address without being returned through undelivered post, and as ignorance of the rules can never be accepted as an excuse for their breach or non-compliance, I am not satisfied that the applicant has provided any good or valid reason for her such serious delay.

6.More importantly, the applicant also failed to put forth any proper or valid draft or proposed grounds of appeal, or any particulars of any error in the decision or why it may reasonably be argued that the decision was unfair or unreasonable either in her summons or her affirmation, and at the hearing of her summons she just stated that she cannot return to her home country as her life will be in danger there. As such and in the absence of any error in the decision being clearly and properly identified by the applicant, I do not see any prospect of success in her intended appeal.

7.In the premises, and for the reasons given, it would be futile to extend time for what appears to be a hopeless appeal. I accordingly refuse her application for extension of time to appeal, and dismiss her summons.

The applicant appeared in person