Judicial review refused for Georgian couple denied international protection due to absence of Convention nexus and adequate state protection

The High Court refused applications by two Georgian nationals, a married couple, for judicial review of decisions refusing them international protection in Ireland. The court found that while the applicants credibly demonstrated having suffered physical and psychological harm from family members and a police officer in Georgia due to their relationship, these harms did not meet the threshold for persecution or serious harm warranting refugee or subsidiary protection under Irish law. The court held that a nexus to a Convention ground for refugee status (such as religion or membership of a particular social group) was not established, as the key identified threat stemmed from the rejected suitor's personal motives rather than protected grounds. Furthermore, the court determined that state protection in Georgia could not be regarded as generally unavailable to the applicants, since they neither made further complaints to police nor utilised oversight mechanisms such as the Public Defender's Office. As a result, the High Court affirmed the decisions of the International Protection Appeals Tribunal and refused all reliefs sought.