Key legal question
Whether the non-renewal of the residence permit for abusive reliance on a formally existing marriage was lawful.
Extracted holding
The appeal was manifestly unfounded because the marriage had become purely formal, the spouses had been separated for years, and no realistic prospect of resuming a life together remained.
Extracted reasoning
The right to a residence permit under marriage-based provisions protects family life, not a merely formal marriage maintained solely for immigration advantages. The appellant had long since ceased living with his spouse and had not shown serious efforts at reconciliation.