Ali Awais v. Torture Claims Appeal Board

HCAL 1053/2025

[2025] HKCFI 4452

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE

HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE

CONSTITUTIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW LIST No. 1053 of 2025

Application for Leave to Apply for Judicial Review
NOTIFICATION of the Judge’s decision (Ord. 53 r. 3)

Following;

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

Leave to apply for Judicial Review be refused.

THE APPLICATION

1.The applicant applies for leave to apply for judicial review of the Decision dated 19 March 2025 of the Torture Claims Appeal Board (“the Board’s Decision”), dismissing the appeal against the Director’s Decision as described below.

2.The applicant did not ask for a hearing.

The applicant

3.The applicant is a national of Pakistan. He is an illegal immigrant, having entered into Hong Kong illegally on 5 November 2023 andsurrendered to the Immigration Department on 8 November 2023. He lodged a non‑refoulement claim on the basis that, if refouled, he will be harmed or killed by Boota and Amir (“his enemies”) because he refused to pay them extortion money.

4.Details of his claim are set out in the Board’s Decision. See hyperlink https://legalref.judiciary.hk/doc/judg/html/vetted/other/en/2025/HCAL001053_2025_files/the_Board's_Decision.pdf.

The Director’s Decision

5.The Director considered the applicant’s claim in relation to the following risks:

a.  risk of torture under Part VIIC of the Immigration Ordinance, Cap. 115, (“the Ordinance”) (“Torture risk”);

b.  risk of violation of the right to life under Article 2 of Section 8 of the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance, Cap. 383 (“HKBOR”) (“BOR 2 risk”);

c.  risk of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (“CIDTP”) under Article 3 of Section 8 of the HKBOR (“BOR 3 risk”); and

d.  risk of persecution by reference to the non-refoulement principle under Article 33 of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol (“Refugee Convention”) (“Persecution risk”).

6.By way of Notice of Decision dated 19 December 2024 (“the Director’s Decision”), the Director dismissed the applicant’s claim because it was unsubstantiated.

The Board’s Decision

7.The applicant appealed the Director’s Decision to the Board. On 5March 2025, the Board conducted an oral hearing for his appeal. The applicant had given oral evidence and answered the Board’s questions.

8.Having considered the evidence, the Board found the facts below.

(1)  The Board accepted that the applicant refused to pay extortion money to his enemies as he claimed and he feared that he might be harmed if he returned to Pakistan. [44]

(2)  However, there was no evidence to show (i) that his enemies would harm or kill him if he were to return to Pakistan; (ii) that he faces risk throughout Pakistan; (iii) he suffered injuries to the required severity; and the state was unwilling to help him. [45]

(3)  State protection appears to be available to him. [63]

(4)  If he wants to relocate, Lahore or Sialkot City will be suitable cities for him. [91]

9.For the reasons above, the Board dismissed his appeal and confirmed the Director’s Decision.

Application for leave to apply for judicial review of the Board’s Decision

10.The applicant has filed Form 86 dated 6 May 2025 for leave to apply for judicial review of the Board’s Decision.

11.In his affirmation in support of his application, the applicant said that he wanted to talk to the adjudicator again as he did not give him true decision. He did not provide specific particulars as to what he meant by the adjudicator not giving him true decision. Nor did he raise any other specific reason to challenge the Board’s Decision.

DISCUSSION

12.The role of this Court is supervisory, meaning that it ensures that the Board complied with the public law requirements in coming to the Board’s Decision on the applicant’s appeal. The Court will not usurp the fact-finding power vested in the Director and the Board. See TK v Michael C Jenkins Esq and Director of Immigration [2013] 1 HKC 526, §40 and Nupur Mst v Director of Immigration [2018] HKCA 524, §14 (1).

13.The Court will bear in mind that the Board’s Decision should be examined with rigorous examination and anxious scrutiny.

14.In Re: Kartini [2019] HKCA 1022, 9 September 2019, the Court of Appeal held:

“13. (1) … …Assessment of evidence and COI materials and risk of harm, state protection and viability of internal relocation are primarily within the province of the Board (and the Director). The court will not intervene by way of judicial review unless there are errors of law or procedural unfairness or irrationality in the decision of the Board.”

15.His reasons in support of his application under paragraph 11 are vague and without any evidence in support. The applicant has raised no valid ground to challenge the Board’s findings.[1]

16.The applicant fails to show that he has any realistic prospect of success in his proposed judicial review of the Board’s Decision.

DISPOSITION

17.I refuse to grant leave to the applicant to apply for judicial review of the Board’s Decision. Accordingly, I dismiss his application.

Dated the 13^th day of October 2025

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

Form CALL-1