NOUMAGNAN YAOVI JEAN-PIERRE v. TORTURE CLAIMS APPEAL BOARD

HCAL 3217/2019

[2025] HKCFI 4223

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE

HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE

CONSTITUTIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW LIST No. 3217 of 2019

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 Applicant being absent in open court;

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 16 September 2019 of the Torture Claims Appeal Board (“the Board’s Decision”), dismissing the appeal against the Director’s Decision as described below.

2.  The applicant asked for a hearing.However, he was absent at the hearing on 18 August 2025. I shall deal with his application on the papers.

3.  Pursuant to Order 20, rule 8 and Order 53, rule 3(6) of the Rules of the High Court, Form 86 is amended to the effect that the proposed respondent is the Board and the Director of Immigration is the interested party.

The applicant

4.  The applicant is a national of Benin. He came to Hong Kong on 10 July 2016 as a visitor. He overstayed since 25 July 2016 and surrendered to the Immigration Department where he lodged a non-refoulement claim on the basis that, if refouled, he will be harmed or killed by his uncle and his followers (“his enemies”) because he had converted from voodoo worship to Catholic and refused to practice voodoo in his home area.

5.  According to the applicant, his enemies had attempted to kill him and threatened him with death. 　They had also gone to his home and damaged it, making him homeless. They had fought together. He was injured, but he did not go to hospital.

6.  Details of his claim are set out in the Board’s Decision. See hyperlink https://legalref.judiciary.hk/doc/judg/html/vetted/other/en/2019/HCAL003217_2019_files/the_Board's_Decision.pdf.

The Director’s Decision

7.  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”).

8.  By way of Notice of Decision dated 22 August 2018 (“the Director’s Decision”), the Director dismissed the applicant’s claim because it was unsubstantiated. 　Besides, state protection is available and internal relocation is viable, which will mitigate or neutralize the applicable risks.

The Board’s Decision

9.  The applicant appealed the Director’s Decision to the Board. On 25 July 2019, the Board conducted an oral hearing for his appeal. He had given oral evidence and answered the Board’s questions.

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

(1)  He presented his evidence with the intention of confusing rather than to inform. [111]

(2)  His evidence lacked specifics and particulars. [113]

(3)  There were inconsistencies in his evidence. [130]-[138]

(4)  He was not a truthful witness and his evidence on the core facts in support of his claim was rejected. [139] & [14]

(5)  State protection will be available if he returns to his country. [[155]-[159]

(6)  Internal relocation is viable. [160]-[163]

11.  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

12.  The applicant has filed Form 86 dated 29 October 2019 for leave to apply for judicial review of the Board’s Decision.

13.  In his affirmation in support of his application, the applicant did not raise any specific reason to challenge the Board’s Decision.

DISCUSSION

14.  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).

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

16.  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.”

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

DISPOSITION

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

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