Wiwid Widyawati v. Torture Claims Appeal Board / Non-refoulement Claims Petition Office

Case No.HCAL 21/2021[2023] HKCFI 1391

Court

High Court CFI

Date25 May 2023

Judge—

Case Document

100%Judiciary

HCAL 21/2021

[2023] HKCFI 1391

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE

HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE

CONSTITUTIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW LIST No. 21 of 2021

BETWEEN
	Wiwid Widyawati	Applicant
	And
	Torture Claims Appeal Board / Non-Refoulement Claims Petition Office	Putative Respondent
	And
	Director of Immigration	Putative Interested Party

Application for Leave to Apply for Judicial Review

NOTIFICATION of the Judge’s decision (Ord. 53 r. 3)

Following:

consideration of the documents only; or

consideration of the documents and oral submissions by the Applicant in open court;

Order by Deputy High Court Judge To:

Leave to apply for Judicial Review be dismissed for want of prosecution.

Observations for the Applicant:

Introduction

1.There are two applications before the Court: (1) the Applicant’s application by Form 86 for leave to apply for judicial review (the “leave application”) of the decision of the Torture Claims Appeal Board/Adjudicator of the Non-Refoulement Claims Petition Office (the “Board”) dated 26 April 2018 (the “Decision”); and (2) her application by affirmation filed on 13 February 2023 to withdraw that application (the “withdrawal application”).

2.The Applicant is an Indonesian national. She last entered Hong Kong in 2009 for employment as a foreign domestic helper. She overstayed her visa since 15 March 2009 when her employment was prematurely terminated. She was arrested for overstaying and then she lodged a torture claim under Article 3 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (the “Torture Claim”) on 28 September 2012. She withdrew her Torture Claim a month later and absconded. She was arrested again in February 2016. Then she filed a claim for non-refoulement protection under the Unified Screening Mechanism. Her claim was refused by the Director of Immigration (the “Director”). She appealed against the Director’s decision. Her appeal was dismissed by the Board’s Decision. This is the decision in respect of which the Applicant sought a judicial review under the leave application.

3.On 13 February 2023, she applied by way of affirmation to withdraw her leave application. The reason stated in her affirmation is that she wanted to go back to her home country. The Court did not consider that a proper reason for withdrawing her leave application in the light of her alleged fears and risks. To ensure that her decision to withdraw was made voluntarily and not as a result of threat, duress or other inappropriate reasons and to ensure that she will be safe if returned to her home country, the Court wrote to her on 3 April 2023 giving her directions to file an affirmation or statement by 17 April 2023 stating:

(i) that her application to withdraw the application for leave to apply for judicial review is made out of her own free will; and

(ii) that she understands that if her application to withdraw is approved, the decision of the Torture Claims Appeal Board / Non-refoulement Claims Petition Office dismissing her appeal against the decision of the Director of Immigration in the Notice of Decision remains in force.

She was also informed that if no affirmation shall have been filed as required, her application for leave to apply for judicial review may be determined on paper and may be dismissed for want of prosecution.

4.As at the date of this Form CALL-1, the Applicant had not responded. There is nothing to suggest that she has changed her address or has not received the correspondence. Having considered the nature of the two applications and issues raised, the Decision, the papers, and all the circumstances, the Court considered it appropriate that the applications be determined on paper without an oral hearing.

Discussion and conclusion

5.Despite the Court’s directions, the Applicant declined to confirm that her withdrawal application is made under her own free will and that she understands the consequence of the withdrawal. The Court is skeptical of the reason for her non-refoulement claims, her application for leave to apply for judicial review as well as her withdrawal application. The Court does not consider it appropriate to allow her withdrawal application.

6.In the light of the Court’s direction, the Applicant must understand that if she does not respond, her leave application may be determined or dismissed for want of prosecution. Her withdrawal application also evinces a lack of intention to prosecute her leave application. The Court therefore considered it appropriate to dismiss her leave application for want of prosecution.

7.For the above reasons, the Applicant’s withdrawal application and leave application are refused.

Dated the 25^th day of May 2023.

( Allen LEE )
for Registrar, High Court

Where leave to apply has been granted, Applicants and their legal advisers are reminded of their obligation to reconsider the merits of their application in the light of the Respondent’s evidence

Notes for the Applicant: If leave has been granted, the Applicant or his solicitors must:
a) serve on the respondent and such interested parties as may be directed by the Court the order granting leave and any directions given within 14 days after the leave was granted(Order 53, rule 4A); b) issue the originating summons within 14 days after the grant of leave and serve it in accordance with Order 53, rule 5; and c) supply to every other party copies of every affidavit which the Applicant proposes to use at the hearing, including the affidavit in support of the application for leave (Order 53, rule 6(5)).		Sent to the Applicant on 25/5/2023 Wiwid Widyawati Applicant’s ref. no: Nil.		Sent to the Putative Respondent / the Putative Respondent’s solicitors / such Putative Interested Parties as may be directed by the Court / the Putative Interested Parties’ solicitors on 25/5/2023 Torture Claims Appeal Board / Non-Refoulement Claims Petition Office Putative Respondent’s ref. no.: USM 5744/17/1/28/I569 Director of Immigration Putative Interested Party’s ref. no.: RBCL 3389/10 (CZ) Department of Justice, Senior Assistant Law Office (Civil Law) (Civil Litigation Unit 2)

Form CALL-1