Aminah-wati-bt-bonaji-kasmijan v. Torture Claims Appeal Board / Non-refoulement Claims Petition Office

HCAL 2342/2023

[2026] HKCFI 2228

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE

HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE

CONSTITUTIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW LIST No 2342 of 2023

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 Levy:

The applicant’s application for leave to apply for judicial review be dismissed.

Observations for the Applicant:

Background

1.By a “Notice of application for leave to apply for judicial review” in the prescribed Form 86 filed on 27 December 2023, the applicant applied for leave to apply for judicial review (“Leave Application”). The intended judicial review was against the decision of the Torture Claims Appeal Board / the Non-Refoulement Claims Petition Office (“Board”) dated 14 December 2023 (“Board’s Decision”) dismissing the applicant’s appeal against a decision of the Director of Immigration (“Director”) dated 25 August 2023 rejecting the applicant’s non-refoulement claim based on all applicable grounds[1]. The Board’s Decision is set out in the following hyperlink: -

https://legalref.judiciary.hk/doc/judg/html/vetted/other/en/2023/HCAL002342_2023_files/the_Board's_Decision.pdf

2.The basis of the applicant’s claim was that, if refouled to Indonesia, she would be harmed or killed by her husband for suspecting her of having an extra-marital affair whilst she was working in Hong Kong. The reasoning and findings were set out in detail in the Board’s Decision and it is not necessary for me to repeat them. Unless otherwise specified, I shall also adopt the Board’s abbreviations and descriptions stated in the Board’s Decision.

3.The applicant has requested for an oral hearing. On 13 February 2026, the applicant filed an affirmation to apply for the withdrawal of the Leave Application. In the circumstances, this court will dispose of the Leave Application on paper.

Discussion

4.A leave application operates as a “filtering” process. Hence there is no requirement or expectation to give elaborate reasons for my decision.[2] It is therefore sufficient for to state my observations after considering the Board’s Decision and the applicant’s materials adduced.

5.In a proper Form 86, an applicant is required to identify the grounds of judicial review clearly and succinctly[3], and further to make full and frank disclosure of all material facts to be verified by an affidavit. The applicant’s Form 86 contained no such grounds. In the supporting affirmation, the applicant made allegations about translation and interpretation.

6.As the Courts have repeatedly stated, a finding of fact is exclusively within the realm of the Board, which a court in a judicial review will not interfere with unless such finding involved an error of law, procedural unfairness, or irrationality.[4] In the present case, the Board concluded that she would not be subjected to risks of harm if refouled as the past ill-treatment did not meet the requisite level of severity. These are findings of fact, which the court in a judicial review will not interfere with subject to there being any public law errors.

7.Bearing in mind the enhanced standard that should be adopted in scrutinizing the decision of the Board, this court is satisfied that the Board correctly applied the law relating to all the grounds and observed a very high standard of fairness. The allegations the applicant made in her supporting affirmation were vague and general, and lacked particulars. The applicant has not shown any errors of law or procedural unfairness or irrationality in the Board’s Decision. The applicant advanced no grounds in support of the Leave Application. The applicant’s intended challenge to the Board’s Decision is not reasonably arguable with any realistic prospects of success such that would enable this court to grant leave[5].

Withdrawal application

8.Apart from the application to withdraw the Leave Application referred to above, there is nothing outstanding in this action. In the circumstances, I make an order to dismiss the Leave Application, and hereby order the dismissal of the Leave Application: see Re Manik Md Mahamudun Nabi [2022] HKCA 471; Ngo Xuan Tuyen v Torture Claims Appeal Board [2024] HKCA 1140.

Order

9.The applicant’s application for leave to apply for judicial review be dismissed.

Dated the 30^th day of April 2026

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