Rebueno Mary Grace Rempillo and Another v. Torture Claims Appeal Board / Non-refoulement Claims Petition Office

HCAL 1741/2019

[2024] HKCFI 3412

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE

HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE

CONSTITUTIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW LIST

NO. 1741 OF 2019

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D E C I S I O N

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The application

1.The applicants are mother and daughter, aged 38 and 6 respectively. This is their joint application.

2.The applicants are an illegal immigrants by staying in Hong Kong without permission and they lodged a non-refoulement claim with the Director of Immigration (“the Director”). The Director rejected their application and they appealed to the Torture Claims Appeal Board (“the Board”). Having considered their evidence, the Board, by its Decision (“the Board’s Decision”), rejected their appeal and affirmed the Director’s Decision.

3.Pursuant to Order 53, rule 3(2) of the Rules of the High Court (“RHC”), the applicants filed Form No. 86 to apply for leave to apply for judicial review of the Board’s Decision.

4.By Order dated 5 September 2024 (“the Court’s decision”), the Court dismissed their application for the reason that there was no realistic prospect of success in their intended application.

5.The Court’s decision was sent to the applicants on 5 September 2024 without being returned by the Post Office. They are deemed to receive the Court’s decision.[1]

6.The deadline for them to file their notice of appeal is 19 September 2024.

7.In their summons filed on 8 November 2024, the applicants asked for extension of time to file their notice of appeal. In the 1^st applicant’s affirmation in support of their application, the 1^st applicant said that the Court had disregarded their dangerous situation.

8.Their application for appeal is late for more than one month.

Discussion

9.Pursuant to Order 32, rule 11 and 11A and Order 53, rule 3(3) of the RHC, having considered the applicants’ reason, I decide to determine this application on paper without an oral hearing[2].

10.The Court shall consider the factors as set out in AW v. Director of Immigration and William Lam [2016] 2 HKC 393 at para. 27(3) in considering if extension of time should be extended: (1) the length of delay; (2) the reasons for the delay; (3) the prospect of the intended appeal; and (4) the prejudice to the putative respondent if extension of time was granted.

11.I shall consider the merits of their case.

12.In Re Adumekwe Rowland Ejike [2019] HKCA 702, the Court of Appeal held:

“19. The prospect of success of the intended appeal is important: the court will not grant extension for a hopeless appeal to be pursued, see Re Rahman Wasif [2019] HKCA 299 at [13]; Re Kpamou Gbotoi Bernard [2019] HKCA 168; and Re Irshad Muhammad [2018] HKCA 864 at [16].”

13.The 1^st applicant’s claim was based upon her allegation that if refouled, the 1^st applicant would be seriously harmed or even killed by her ex-boyfriend. On 19 January 2018, she gave birth to her daughter, the 2^nd applicant.

14.The Director rejected their application for the reason that their claim was not substantiated. They appealed to the Board.

15.The Board accepted the 1^st applicant’s evidence. However, it found that the applicant could avoid the harm from the 1^st applicant’s ex-boyfriend as state protection and internal relocation would be available. Their claim failed to meet the requirements of the applicable risks.

16.The applicants have raised no valid ground to challenge the Board’s finding of the facts.

17.There is no realistic prospect of success in their intended appeal.

18.In the circumstances, I refuse to extend time for their appeal. Accordingly, I dismiss their application.

19.I shall treat non-compliance with Order 80, rule 2 of the RHC in these proceedings as a mere irregularity without rendering the 2^nd applicant’s application a nullity.

The applicants were unrepresented.