Mboweto Ibrahim Mohamed v. Torture Claims Appeal Board / Non-refoulement Claims Petition Office

Read the full judgment text of HCAL 2902/2019 on BabelCite. This High Court CFI judgment was delivered on 15 July 2025.

1. The applicant applies for leave to apply for judicial review of the Board’s Decision dated 26 September 2019 (“the Board’s Decision”). He did not set out any reasons in support of his application in Form 86.

Cites 1 case

Case No.HCAL 2902/2019[2025] HKCFI 2618
Court
High Court CFI
Date15 Jul 2025
Judge
Case Document
100%Judiciary

HCAL 2902/2019

[2025] HKCFI 2618

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE

HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE

CONSTITUTIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW LIST No. 2902 of 2019

BETWEEN    
Mboweto Ibrahim Mohamed 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 documents only;          or
    consideration of documents and Applicant being absent in open court;

Order by Deputy High Court Judge K.W. Lung:

Leave to apply for Judicial Review be dismissed.

Observations for the Applicant:

1.The applicant applies for leave to apply for judicial review of the Board’s Decision dated 26 September 2019 (“the Board’s Decision”). He did not set out any reasons in support of his application in Form 86.

2.I dismiss his application for the reasons below:

a.  According to the Notice of Decision dated 2 May 2019 (“the Director’s Decision”), the applicant lodged his claim on 19 August 2016. However, he failed to submit the completed Non-refoulement Claim (“NFC”) within the prescribed time, 22 August 2018 in compliance with section 37Y(2) of the Immigration Ordinance, Cap. 115 (“the Ordinance”)

b.  Under section 37ZG(1)(A) of the Ordinance, his claim must be treated as withdrawn. He may apply to reopen his claim under subsection (3) of this section if he can show that he had exercised all due diligence to make the return of the NFC and he failed to do so because of circumstances beyond his control.

c.  By letter dated 9 April 2019, the Director requested him to give evidence for compliance of section 37ZG(3) of the Ordinance in support of his application for re-opening his claim, giving him further time until 23 April 2019. He failed to comply with the Director’s request without giving any reason. The Director therefore refused to re-open his claim.

d.  He filed Form 86 for application for leave for judicial review of the Board’s Decision. But he failed to support his application with any reasons.

e.  The Court has written to the Torture Claims Appeal Board/Non-refoulement Claims Petition Office for the Board’s Decision, which is not on the Court’s file.

f.  The Board replied that there was no record that the applicant had filed any notice of appeal.

g.  This Court set down the case for hearing on 26 May 2025. Due notice has been given to the applicant at his last known address and there was no return from the Post Office that the notice was not served. He is deemed to receive the Court’s notice for the hearing.

h.  He was absent at the hearing on 26 May 2025 without giving any reasons for his absence.

i.  Since the subject matter of his application, i.e. the Board’s Decision is non-existent, and the applicant did not appear before the Court to explain the position, his application should be dismissed.

Dated the 15th day of July 2025

  (M.O. WONG)(Ms)
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 the Applicant’s 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 xx/7/2025

Mboweto Ibrahim Mohamed
v 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 xx/7/2025
 
Torture Claims Appeal Board/Non-refoulement Claims Petition Office
Putative Respondent’s ref. no.:
-
Director of Immigration
Putative Interested Party’s ref. no.:
L/M (19441) in ImmD RA 7/37/C (Formerly RBCZ 13075/16)
 
Department of Justice,
Senior Assistant Law Officer
(Civil Law)
(Civil Litigation Unit 2)


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