RE NGUYEN VAN CUONG

CAMP 337/2022, [2024] HKCA 612

On Appeal From [2023] HKCA 1221

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE

HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

COURT OF APPEAL

MISCELLANEOUS PROCEEDINGS NO 337 OF 2022

(ON AN INTENDED APPEAL FROM HCAL NO 301 OF 2018)

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J U D G M E N T

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Hon Au JA (giving the judgment of the Court):

1.  On 30 October 2023, the applicant filed a Notice of Motion to apply for leave to appeal to the Court of Final Appeal against this court’s (Yuen and Au JJA)  judgment of 27 October 2023 (“the Judgment”)  ([2023] HKCA 1221). In the Judgment, we dismissed the applicant’s reapplication for extension of time to appeal against the decision of Deputy High Court Judge Bruno Chan (“the Judge”)  dated 11 August 2021, by which the Judge dismissed his application for leave to apply for judicial review ([2021] HKCFI 2268).

2.  The facts and issues in the appeal, as well as this court’s reasons for dismissing it, are set out in the Judgment.  We will not repeat them here.  After reviewing the Notice of Motion, we see no reason to deviate from the usual practice to consider this application on paper pursuant to paragraph 3 of Practice Direction 2.1.

3.  Section 22(1)(b)  of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Ordinance, Cap 484 (“the HKCFAO”)  provides that an appeal shall lie to the Court of Final Appeal at the discretion of this court or the Court of Final Appeal if the question involved in the appeal is one which, by reason of its great general or public importance, or otherwise, ought to be submitted to the Court of Final Appeal for decision.

4.  In his Notice of Motion, the applicant asserted that he would be killed, tortured or beaten by his creditors and the gangsters if refouled and that internal relocation would not be feasible given his health. He further alleged that the Immigration Department failed to consider his human rights under various legislations but failed to elaborate on his assertions.

5.  Contrary to Practice Direction 2.1, the applicant failed to lodge his written submissions.  On 8 November 2023, he lodged a letter asserting that he could not return to his home country owing to his default in repayment of his loan.  He further claimed that his creditor and the police accused him of fraudulent appropriation of property and the Vietnamese police would beat him up.  He also attached copies of supporting documents (with translations), which were also submitted to the Judge on 5 August 2021.

6.  In our view, there is no merit in his submissions.  The matters raised in his Notice of Motion and letter are all general and bare allegations without any specific particulars or explanation. General assertions of his fear if refouled do not constitute proper grounds of appeal: Re Saldua Dorothy Trifalgar [2022] HKCA 627 at [6].  More importantly, he has failed to give any specific particulars as to how we had erred in the Judgment.  His allegations therefore do not constitute proper grounds of appeal and are in any event devoid of merit.

7.  Further and in any event, even taking them at their highest, those allegations remain fact-specific and do not relate to any question of great general or public importance.

8.  Accordingly, the applicant fails to identify any question of great general or public importance, as required by section 22(1)(b)  of the HKCFAO.  We also do not see any basis for granting leave on the “or otherwise” limb under section 22(1)(b)  of the HKCFAO.

9.  For these reasons, the applicant’s intended appeal has no merit.  Accordingly, the Notice of Motion is dismissed.