BP v Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform

Respondent/Defendant:Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
Court/s:High Court
Citation/s:[2003] 4 IR 200
Judgment Date/s:21 Oct 2003
Judge:Gilligan
Category:Refugee Law
Keywords:Refugee, Refugee Law, Refugee Status
Country of Origin:Georgia

The applicant, a national of Georgia, sought asylum for reasons of a claimed fear of persecution because of his political opinion and in particular because of a fear of reprisals for research he carried out for a television programme that investigated government corruption. The applicant said that he did not relocate in Georgia because he felt he would continue to experience problems in an alternative location.

The Refugee Appeals Tribunal refused the applicant’s appeal, finding, inter alia, that his reason for not finding an alternative place to live was implausible. The applicant sought to quash this decision by way of review arguing, inter alia, that the Tribunal erred in law in the manner in which it dealt with internal relocation.

The High Court granted leave to seek judicial review, finding that it was arguable that as internal relocation was an alternative to refugee status, rather than a component of the test, the Tribunal’s approach was not permissible. The Court also held that it was arguable that there was no detailed consideration by the Tribunal regarding whether the risk of persecution extended to any place of proposed internal relocation.

Principles:

Internal relocation is an alternative to refugee status rather than a component of the test of refugee status. Where a decision maker applies the principle of internal relocation, it is arguable that there should be a detailed consideration of whether the risk of persecution extends to a place of proposed internal relocation.

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