KHAN IMRAN v. TORTURE CLAIMS APPEAL BOARD

CACV 359/2025, [2026] HKCA 802

On appeal from [2025] HKCFI 2114

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE

HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

COURT OF APPEAL

CIVIL APPEAL NO 359 OF 2025

(ON APPEAL FROM HCAL NO 2690 OF 2019)

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BETWEEN

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JUDGMENT

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The Court:

INTRODUCTION

1.  This is the applicant’s appeal against the order of Deputy High Court Judge Bruno Chan (“the Judge”) dated 27 May 2025, [1] refusing to grant leave to apply for judicial review of the decision of the Torture Claims Appeal Board/Non-refoulement Claims Petition Office (“the Board”) dated 28 February 2017 (“the Board’s Decision”) whereby the Board dismissed his appeal against the decisions of the Director of Immigration (“the Director”) dated 7 July 2015 and 26 October 2016 (“the Director’s Decisions”).

BACKGROUND

2.  The applicant is a national of Pakistan. He lodged a non-refoulement claim with the Immigration Department on the basis that, if refouled, he would be harmed or killed by his creditor over his unpaid debts. The applicant’s non-refoulement claim was rejected by the Director’s Decisions, and his appeal against it was rejected by the Board. A summary of the applicant’s process before the Director and the Board can be found under paragraphs [1] – [9] of the Form CALL-1 dated 27 May 2025 (“the Form CALL-1”).

3.  The applicant’s application for leave to apply for judicial review was refused by the Judge and details of the Judge’s reasons for refusing to grant leave can be found in the Form CALL-1.

GROUNDS OF APPEAL

4.  By a notice of appeal filed on 2 June 2025, the applicant sought to appeal the Judge’s decision to this court. For the grounds of appeal, the applicant stated that (sic) “Respected High Court I am not satisfied with Order which I get from High Court, because they refuse my case, so I want to apply Judicial Review against my Order.”

5.  The appeal was scheduled to be heard on 11 March 2026. The applicant has failed to lodge any skeleton argument in support of his appeal in accordance with the directions given by the Registrar of Civil Appeals on 16 January 2026. Accordingly, the applicant is deemed to have waived his right to have an oral hearing of the appeal, and elected to have the appeal disposed of on paper. The applicant was informed of the same by the court’s letter dated 12 February 2026.

DISCUSSION & DISPOSITION

6.  In an appeal against refusal of leave to apply for judicial review in non-refoulement cases, the Court of Appeal would only examine the decision of the judge in light of the grounds advanced by the applicant. If no viable ground is put forward to reverse the judge’s decision, the appeal should be dismissed. The Court of Appeal’s role is not to examine the Board’s decision afresh as if it was a fresh application for judicial review (see Nupur Mst v Director of Immigration [2018] HKCA 524, at §14(6)).

7.  The assessment of evidence, country of origin information, 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: Re Kartini [2019] HKCA 1022.

8.  In the present case, the Judge found no error of law or procedural unfairness or irrationality in the decision of the Board. The mere assertions as stated in the grounds of appeal, which were not substantiated, do not constitute any viable grounds of appeal either and lack substance.

9.  For the above reasons, the applicant’s appeal is devoid of merits. We dismiss it accordingly.