Eko Darmawan v. Torture Claims Appeal Board / Non-refoulement Claims Petition Office

Case No.HCAL 1172/2023[2026] HKCFI 1967
Court
High Court CFI
Date10 Apr 2026
Judge
Case Document
100%

HCAL 1172/2023

[2026] HKCFI 1967

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE

HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE

CONSTITUTIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW LIST No. 1172 of 2023

BETWEEN

  Eko Darmawan Applicant
  and  
  Torture Claims Appeal Board/ Putative
  Non-refoulement Claims Petition Office 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 oral submissions by the Applicant in open court;

Order by Deputy High Court Judge To:

1.  Application to withdraw the application for leave to apply for Judicial Review (“Form 86”) be granted; and

2.  Application for leave to apply for Judicial Review be withdrawn.

Observations for the Applicant:

Introduction

1.This is the Applicant’s application by Form 86 filed on 13 July 2023 for leave to apply for judicial review (the “leave application”) of the decision (the “Decision”) of the Torture Claims Appeal Board / Non-Refoulement Claims Petition Office (the “Board”) dismissing his appeal against the decision of the Director of Immigration refusing his application for non-refoulement protection.

2.On 18 March 2026, the Court received a letter from the Applicant via the Immigration Department applying to withdraw his leave application (the “withdrawal application”). In his letter, he asserted, inter alia, (i) that he wished to withdraw his leave application and return to his home country as soon as possible; (ii) that his issues in his home country have been resolved; and (iii) he can return home. Reading his letter in the context of the Board’s Decision and all the papers, there is nothing to suggest his decision to withdraw was made otherwise than out of his own free will, with full understanding of the consequences of his withdrawal and that it is safe for him to return to his home country. Accordingly, this Court is of the view that his decision to withdraw his leave application is an informed and conscious decision validly made and hence allows his application for leave to apply for judicial review to be withdrawn.

Dated the 10th day of April 2026

  ( Seline Sze )
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 10/04/2026

Eko Darmawan

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 10/04/2026

Torture Claims Appeal Board/Non-refoulement Claims Petition Office
Putative Respondent’s ref. no.:
USM 18341

Director of Immigration
Putative Interested Party’s ref. no.:


Department of Justice,
Senior Assistant Law Officer
(Civil Law)
(Civil Litigation Unit 2)



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