Manpreet Singh v. Torture Claims Appeal Board / Non-refoulement Claims Petition Office

Case No.HCAL 3503/2019[2023] HKCFI 1379

Court

High Court CFI

Date—

Judge—

Case Document

100%Judiciary

HCAL 3503/2019

[2023] HKCFI 1379

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE

HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE

CONSTITUTIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW LIST No. 3503 of 2019

BETWEEN
	Manpreet Singh	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 15 November 2019 (the “Decision”); and (2) his application by way of affirmation filed on 7 March 2023 to withdraw that application (the “withdrawal application”).

2.The Applicant is an Indian national. He entered into Hong Kong on 27 December 2016 and overstayed since 11 January 2017. He surrendered to the Immigration Department on 16 January 2017. He raised a non-refoulement claim by written signification on 21 March 2017. His claim was dismissed by the Director of Immigration via his notice of decision dated 19 July 2018. He appealed to the Board. His 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.Then, on 7 March 2023, he applied by way of affirmation to “close” his case, ie his leave application. The reasons stated in his affirmation is that he has obtained a Hong Kong visa. The visa as such does not entitle him to non-refoulement protection which he had claimed. To ensure that his decision to withdraw was made voluntarily and not as a result of threat, duress or other inappropriate reasons and to ensure that he will be safe if returned to his home country, the Court wrote to him on 14 April 2023 giving him directions to lodge an affirmation or statement on or before 26 April 2023 confirming:

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

(ii) that he understands that the visa he obtained does not entitle him to non-refoulement protection and if his application to withdraw is approved, the decision of the Torture Claims Appeal Board / Non-refoulement Claims Petition Office dismissing his appeal against the decision of the Director of Immigration in the Notice of Decision remains in force.

He was also informed that if no affirmation shall have been filed as required, his 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 he has changed his 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 his withdrawal application is made under his own free will and that he understands the consequence of the withdrawal. The Court is skeptical of the reason for his non-refoulement claims, his application for leave to apply for judicial review as well as his withdrawal application. The Court does not consider it appropriate to allow his withdrawal application.

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

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

Dated 23^rd 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 23/5/2023 Manpreet Singh 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 23/5/2023 Torture Claims Appeal Board / Non-Refoulement Claims Petition Office Putative Respondent’s ref. no.: USM 12765/18/8/35/IN2538 Director of Immigration Putative Interested Party’s ref. no.: QA T/C 1708/18 (Formerly RBCZ 10705/17) Department of Justice, Senior Assistant Law Office (Civil Law) (Civil Litigation Unit 2)

Form CALL-1