Date: 20080812
Docket: IMM-5455-07
Citation: 2008 FC 944
Ottawa, Ontario, August 12, 2008
PRESENT: The Honourable Mr. Justice Russell
BETWEEN:
YOUNIS
AHMED YOUNIS
Applicant
and
THE MINISTER OF
CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION
Respondent
REASONS FOR JUDGMENT
[1]
This is an
application pursuant to subsection 72(1) of the Immigration
and Refugee Protection Act, S.C. 2001, c. 27 (Act) for judicial review of
the decision of a member of the Immigration Appeal Division of the Immigration
and Refugee Board (IAD), dated December 3, 2007 (Decision) dismissing the
Applicant’s appeal of a deportation order made against him on March 31, 2007,
pursuant to paragraph 36(1)(a) of the Act.
BACKGROUND
[2]
The Applicant, Mr.
Younis Ahmed Younis, a citizen of Iraq, entered Canada
as a dependent child in 1993 after his mother was granted refugee status. The
Applicant’s mother and three brothers live in Canada. His three sisters and
their families live in Iraq. The Applicant married Ms. Natalie
Moore, a Canadian citizen, in a religious ceremony in 2000, and the couple
entered into a legal marriage on March 18, 2007. The Applicant and Ms. Moore
have two daughters whose ages are six years and four months respectively.
[3]
The Applicant has a
number of criminal convictions, one of which is the basis of the removal order
issued against him. The Applicant's first conviction occurred in 1995 when he
was 14 years old. He was convicted under the former Young Offenders Act,
R.S.C. 1985, c. Y-1 [YOA], as rep. by Youth Criminal Justice Act, S.C.
2002, c. 1 [YCJA], of sexual assault, contrary to section 271 of the Criminal
Code of Canada (CCC) and was sentenced to one year of secure custody, three
months of open custody and nine months of probation.
[4]
The Applicant’s
second conviction occurred on April 26, 2001, for Failure to Appear contrary to
section 145(5) of the CCC and Failure to Attend Court contrary to section
145(2)(a) of the CCC.
[5]
On March 22, 2005,
the Applicant was convicted of four counts of trafficking in a controlled
substance (specifically, cocaine) contrary to section 5(1) of the Controlled
Drugs and Substances Act, S.C. 1996, c. 19, and one count of possession of
a scheduled substance for the purpose of trafficking pursuant to section 5(2)
of the same Act.
[6]
The Applicant also
has outstanding criminal charges. On March 20, 2006, a member of the Nanaimo
Royal Canadian Mounted Police prepared a Report to Crown Counsel containing a list
of proposed criminal charges and summaries of witness statements and police
observations of the Applicant's conduct on March 17, 2007. The list of proposed
charges included the following:
i)
Uttering
Threats for threatening to kill Cher ZAIEE;
ii)
Uttering
Threats for threatening to kill Natalie MOORE;
iii)
Uttering
Threats for threatening to blow up and burn Cher ZAIEE’s residence;
iv)
Mischief
Under $5000 for putting a hole in the wall in Cher ZAIEE’s residence;
v)
Assault
for hitting and grabbing Cher ZAIEE and causing bruising to her arms;
vi)
Assault
for attempting to head butt All ZAIEE.
[7]
On March 21, 2007,
the Immigration Division issued a deportation order against the Applicant on
the basis that he was inadmissible for serious criminality under section
36(1)(a) of the Act because of his conviction for drug trafficking.
[8]
The Applicant
appealed the deportation order and sought special relief on humanitarian and
compassionate (H&C) grounds under the Act. He did not challenge the legal
validity of the deportation order and was not represented by counsel at the
hearing. The IAD denied the Applicant's appeal. This is the Decision under
judicial review in this application.
DECISION
UNDER REVIEW
[9]
In its Decision, the IAD
provided the following summary of the Applicant’s criminal convictions:
August 15, 1995 1)
sexual assault, pursuant to Section 271 1 year secure custody
Saskatoon Youth of
the Criminal Code 3 months open custody
Court 2)
Failure to comply with recognizance 9 months probation
pursuant to Section 145 of the Criminal Time served
Code
April 26, 2001 Fail
to appear, pursuant to section 145(5) 1 day
Calgary of the Criminal
Code
Fail
to attend court pursuant to section $150.00Cda. I-D 3 days
145(2)(A) of the Criminal
Code
March 22. 2005 Possession
of a scheduled substance 11 day with 4 months
for
the purpose of trafficking, pursuant pre-sentence custody,
to
section 5(2) of the Controlled Drug 12 months conditional
Substance
Act sentence order and
mandatory
109
prohibition
order.
[10]
The IAD expressly
stated that it considered the documentary materials tendered by the appellant
(the Applicant in these proceedings), the contents of the Record, the
Minister's counsel's disclosures and oral submissions of the appellant (Applicant)
and the Minister’s counsel.
[11]
In its Decision, the
IAD applied the non-exhaustive list of factors outlined in Ribic v. Canada (Minister of Employment and Immigration), [1985] I.A.B.D. No. 4 (QL) and approved
by the Supreme Court of Canada in Chieu v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship
and Immigration), [2002] 1 S.C.R. 82, 2002 SCC 3 [hereinafter Chieu].
These factors are as follows:
a. The seriousness of the offences leading
to the deportation;
b. The possibility of rehabilitation, the
length of time spent in Canada, and the degree to which the appellant
is established here;
c. The family in Canada and the dislocation
to the family that deportation would cause;
d. Support available to the appellant within
the family and within the community;
e. Potential foreign hardship the appellant
would face in the likely country of removal.
[12]
Taking these factors
into account in its analysis, the IAD found that the Applicant’s drug
trafficking offence was a very serious one, that he had not shown any
appreciable degree of rehabilitation, and that his presence in Canada was a risk to the health and safety of Canadians. The IAD
also found that the Applicant had no degree of establishment in Canada and he
had not shown that he or his family would suffer hardship if he were removed
from Canada. The IAD concluded that the Applicant
had not demonstrated that there were sufficient H&C considerations to
warrant special relief from the removal order against him.
[13]
The IAD also stated
that, following the Supreme Court of Canada's decision in Chieu, supra,
it could not consider hardship in Iraq because the Applicant had been granted
refugee status.
[13]
[13]ISSUES
[14]
The issues raised in
this application are:
1.
Did
the IAD err in admitting the Applicant’s juvenile criminal record into
evidence?
2.
Did
the IAD err in taking into consideration the Report to Crown Counsel?
3.
Did
the IAD err in failing to determine whether a likely country of removal could
be established and by finding that it could not consider hardship in Iraq because the
Applicant is a convention refugee?
[15]
The
Applicant withdrew the third issue at the hearing of this application.
Consequently, it will not be addressed in these reasons.
RELEVANT STATUTORY PROVISIONS
[16]
The Act provides that
a permanent resident has a right of appeal to the IAD against a removal order
on various grounds, including humanitarian and compassionate grounds:
63.
(3) A
permanent resident or a protected person may appeal to the Immigration Appeal
Division against a decision at an examination or admissibility hearing to
make a removal order against them.
67. (1) To allow an
appeal, the Immigration Appeal Division must be satisfied that, at the time
that the appeal is disposed of,
[…]
(c)
other than in the case of an appeal by the Minister, taking into account the
best interests of a child directly affected by the decision, sufficient
humanitarian and compassionate considerations warrant special relief in light
of all the circumstances of the case.
68. (1) To stay a removal order,
the Immigration Appeal Division must be satisfied, taking into account the
best interests of a child directly affected by the decision, that sufficient
humanitarian and compassionate considerations warrant special relief in light
of all the circumstances of the case.
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63. (3) Le résident permanent ou la personne protégée peut interjeter
appel de la mesure de renvoi prise au contrôle ou à l’enquête.
67. (1) Il est fait droit à l’appel sur preuve qu’au moment
où il en est disposé :
[…]
c) sauf dans le cas de l’appel du ministre, il y a — compte tenu
de l’intérêt supérieur de l’enfant directement touché — des motifs d’ordre
humanitaire justifiant, vu les autres circonstances de l’affaire, la prise de
mesures spéciales.
68. (1) Il est sursis à la mesure de renvoi sur preuve qu’il
y a — compte tenu de l’intérêt supérieur de l’enfant directement touché — des
motifs d’ordre humanitaire justifiant, vu les autres circonstances de
l’affaire, la prise de mesures spéciales.
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ANALYSIS
Standard
of Review
[17]
In my view, the
remaining two questions raised on this application are questions relating to
the admissibility of evidence. The admission of documents that ought not to
have been admitted constitutes a breach of procedural fairness. It is
well-established that the standard of review analysis does not apply to issues
of procedural fairness (Canadian Union of Public Employees v. Ontario
(Minister of Labour), [2003] 1 S.C.R. 539, 2003 SCC 29). Procedural fairness raises questions of
law, reviewable on a standard of correctness (Dunsmuir v. New Brunswick, 2008 SCC 9). Where a breach of
procedural fairness is found, the decision must be set aside (Sketchley
v. Canada (Attorney General) (2005), [2006] 3 F.C.R. 392, 2005 FCA 404; Ha
v. Canada, [2004] 3 F.C.R. 195, 2004 FCA 49).
1. Did the IAD err in admitting the
Applicant's juvenile criminal record into evidence?
[18]
The Applicant argues
that the IAD erred by admitting his juvenile criminal record into evidence.
[19]
At the hearing before
the IAD, the Hearings Officer argued that the Applicant’s juvenile criminal
record was releasable and admissible under the YCJA because the Applicant had
been convicted as an adult on April 26, 2001 of Failure to Appear and Failure
to Attend Court, charges which, according to the Hearings Officer, were within
five years of when the Applicant's sentence was completed. This meant that the
record was accessible by the IAD.
[20]
Although the
Applicant was convicted under the former YOA, the applicable legislation is the
YCJA, as transitional provisions under the YCJA make sections 114 to 129 of the
YCJA applicable to records kept under sections 40 and 43 of the YOA:
163. Sections 114 to 129 apply, with any
modifications that the circumstances require, in respect of records relating
to the offence of delinquency under the Juvenile Delinquents Act,
chapter J-3 of the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1970, and in respect of records
kept under sections 40 to 43 of the Young Offenders Act, chapter Y-1
of the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985.
|
163. Les articles 114 à 129 s’appliquent, avec les adaptations
nécessaires, aux dossiers relatifs à l’infraction de délinquance prévue par
la Loi sur les jeunes délinquants, chapitre J-3 des Statuts révisés du
Canada de 1970, et aux dossiers tenus en application des articles 40 à 43 de
la Loi sur les jeunes contrevenants, chapitre Y-1 des Lois révisées du
Canada (1985).
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[21]
The YCJA contains the
following prohibition (Prohibition) against the release of records of
convictions of young persons:
[21]
118.
(1) Except
as authorized or required by this Act, no person shall be given access to a
record kept under sections 114 to 116, and no information contained in it may
be given to any person, where to do so would identify the young person to
whom it relates as a young person dealt with under this Act.
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118.
(1) Sauf autorisation ou obligation prévue par la présente loi, il est
interdit de donner accès pour consultation à un dossier tenu en application
des articles 114 à 116 ou de communiquer des renseignements qu’il contient
lorsque l’accès ou la communication permettrait de constater que l’adolescent
visé par le dossier a fait l’objet de mesures prises sous le régime par la
présente loi.
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[22]
The terms “record”
and “young person” are defined in section 2(1) of the YCJA as follows:
“record”
includes any thing containing information, regardless of its physical form or
characteristics, including microform, sound recording, videotape,
machine-readable record, and any copy of any of those things, that is created
or kept for the purposes of this Act or for the investigation of an offence
that is or could be prosecuted under this Act.
“young person”
a person who is or, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, appears to be
twelve years old or older, but less than eighteen years old and, if the
context requires, includes any person who is charged under this Act with
having committed an offence while he or she was a young person or who is
found guilty of an offence under this Act.
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« dossier » Toute chose renfermant des éléments
d’information, quels que soient leur forme et leur support, notamment
microforme, enregistrement sonore, magnétoscopique ou informatisé, ou toute
reproduction de ces éléments d’information, obtenus ou conservés pour
l’application de la présente loi ou dans le cadre d’une enquête conduite à
l’égard d’une infraction qui est ou peut être poursuivie en vertu de la
présente loi.
« adolescent » Toute personne qui, étant âgée d’au
moins douze ans, n’a pas atteint l’âge de dix-huit ans ou qui, en l’absence
de preuve contraire, paraît avoir un âge compris entre ces limites. Y est
assimilée, pour les besoins du contexte, toute personne qui, sous le régime
de la présente loi, est soit accusée d’avoir commis une infraction durant son
adolescence, soit déclarée coupable d’une infraction
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[23]
Section 119(1) of the
YCJA sets out several exceptions to the Prohibition against the release of
records of convictions of young persons. Specifically, subsections 119(1)(h)
and (n) provide that a judge, court, review body, or a member of a
department or agency of a government of Canada may access criminal records within the “Period
of Access.” The Period of Access is calculated from the time the youth sentence
in respect of the offence is completed and is three years for summary
convictions and five years for indictable convictions (YCJA, s. 119(2)(g)-(h)).
[24]
Section 119(9) of the
YJCA provides a further exception to the Prohibition where, during the Period
of Access, the person is convicted of an offence as an adult:
119(9) If, during the period of access to a record
under any of paragraphs (2)(g) to (j), the young person is
convicted of an offence committed when he or she is an adult,
(a) section 82 (effect of absolute discharge or
termination of youth sentence) does not apply to the young person in respect
of the offence for which the record is kept under sections 114 to 116;
(b) this Part no longer applies to the record and
the record shall be dealt with as a record of an adult; and
(c) for the purposes of the Criminal Records
Act, the finding of guilt in respect of the offence for which the record
is kept is deemed to be a conviction.
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119(9) Si, au
cours de la période visée aux alinéas (2)g) à j), l’adolescent
devenu adulte est déclaré coupable d’une infraction :
a)
l’article 82 (effet d’une absolution inconditionnelle ou de l’expiration de
la période d’application des peines) ne s’applique pas à lui à l’égard de
l’infraction visée par le dossier tenu en application des articles 114 à 116;
b) la
présente partie ne s’applique plus au dossier et celui-ci est traité comme
s’il était un dossier d’adulte;
c) pour
l’application de la Loi sur le casier judiciaire, la déclaration de
culpabilité à l’égard de l’infraction visée par le dossier est réputée être
une condamnation.
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[25]
The Applicant was
convicted as a young person of sexual assault on August 15, 1995, contrary to
section 271 of the CCC. His sentence was completed when his probationary period
expired two years later, on August 15, 1997. His next conviction occurred in
adult court on April 26, 2001, at which time he was 20 years old. This
conviction is more than three years after his sentence as a young person but
within five years. Thus, the question of whether or not the Applicant's
juvenile record falls within the Period of Access and is accessible turns on
whether the sexual assault conviction was for a summary or indictable offence.
[26]
The Applicant submits
that there was no indication in the evidence before the IAD whether the
Applicant, as a youth, was convicted of a summary or indictable offence.
Without such evidence, argues the Applicant, the IAD had no way of determining
whether the Applicant's juvenile conviction was releasable under the YCJA.
[27]
I note that section
271 of the CCC is a hybrid offence, which means it may result in a summary or
indictable conviction, depending on how the Attorney General elects to proceed
with the charge. As noted by the Applicant, where no election is made in
respect of a hybrid offence, the Attorney General is deemed to have elected to
proceed by way of summary conviction pursuant to section 121 of the CCC.
[28]
Section 271 of the CCC
provides as follows:
271. (1) Every one who commits a sexual assault
is guilty of
(a) an
indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten
years; or
(b) an
offence punishable on summary conviction and liable to imprisonment for a
term not exceeding eighteen months.
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271.
(1) Quiconque
commet une agression sexuelle est coupable :
a) soit d’un acte criminel et
passible d’un emprisonnement maximal de dix ans;
b) soit d’une infraction
punissable sur déclaration de culpabilité par procédure sommaire et passible
d’un emprisonnement maximal de dix-huit mois.
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[29]
In addition, the
Applicant’s sentence of one year secure custody, three months open custody and
nine months of probation does not make clear whether the Attorney General
proceeded summarily or by way of indictment.
[30]
In response, the
Respondent argues that it was not the task of the IAD to review the decision of
the Saskatoon Police Service to release the Applicant's youth criminal record
to the Minister's counsel. Instead, the task of the IAD was to consider whether
or not the evidence before it was credible and trustworthy and to decide the
weight to be given to that evidence.
[31]
According to the
Respondent, the IAD is authorized to consider all of the evidence before it
that it finds credible or trustworthy. Section 67 of the Act requires the IAD
to consider “all the circumstances of the case” when deciding whether there are
sufficient H&C considerations to warrant special relief from a removal
order. Also, section 175 of the Act provides that the IAD is not bound by any
legal or technical rules of evidence and that it may receive and base a
decision on evidence adduced in the proceedings that it considers credible or
trustworthy in the circumstances:
175.
(1) The
Immigration Appeal Division, in any proceeding before it,
(a)
must, in the case of an appeal under subsection 63(4), hold a hearing;
(b)
is not bound by any legal or technical rules of evidence;
(c)
may receive and base a decision on evidence adduced in the proceedings that
it considers credible or trustworthy in the circumstances.
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175. (1) Dans toute affaire don’t elle est saisie, la Section d’appel de
l’immigration :
(a) dispose de l’appel formé au titre du paragraphe 63(4) par la
tenue d’une audience;
(b) n’est pas liée par les règles légales ou techniques de présentation
de la preuve;
(c) peut recevoir les éléments qu’elle juge crédibles ou dignes
de foi en l’occurrence et fonder sur eux sa décision.
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[32]
I do not agree with
the Respondent that the IAD did not have a duty to assess whether the
Applicant's youth criminal record was properly released. It is for the IAD to
determine the admissibility, reliability and weight to be given to evidence
presented before it. Although the IAD is not bound by the same legal or
technical rules of evidence as a Court of law, I do not think that this confers
upon the IAD the authority to admit a youth criminal record where the second
conviction falls outside the Period of Access. In my view, the release of such
a report would not only constitute a breach of section 118 of the YCJA, it
would also amount to a breach of the procedural fairness guarantees in hearings
before the IAD. The IAD in Atkinson v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and
Immigration), [1998] I.A.D.D. No. 171 was of the view (see paragraphs
60-62) that a properly authorized release of material is required before that
material can be introduced into evidence, and I agree with them.
[33]
I distinguish my
finding here from the words of the Federal Court of Appeal in Sittampalam v.
Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), [2007] 3 F.C.R. 198, 2006
FCA 326 at paragraph 49, wherein Justice Linden, writing for the Court, stated
as follows:
49.
In admissibility
hearings the IAD is not bound by the strict rules of evidence. Once the
tribunal determines that the evidence is credible and trustworthy then it is
admissible, and the question of how the evidence was obtained becomes relevant
merely as to the weight attached to the evidence: section 173, IRPA.
[34]
I find that the IAD
had a duty to determine the admissibility of the Applicant's youth criminal
record before considering whether the record was credible and trustworthy and before
determining the weight to be given to the record.
[35]
In my view, the IAD in the present case never turned its mind to
the issue of whether the youth criminal record was properly released, and the IAD
is not relieved of this obligation by section 175(1) of IRPA (see Atkinson,
supra, at paragraphs 60-61). The IAD simply accepted the record without
any analysis. There was no way to tell from the materials before the IAD
whether the record was releasable. The CPIC print out is not an official
criminal record and this one contained mistakes. It was Parliament’s intent to
ensure that such records remain confidential and thus, there is much control
over the release of these records. For the IAD to disregard the clear
provisions regarding the release of youth criminal records explicitly set out
in the YCTA by relying on general provisions in the IRPA (s. 175(1)) seems
contrary to what Parliament intended. Where records or documents such as these
are protected by statute, it is incumbent, in my view, that the IAD consider
whether the documents put before it have been properly released.
[36]
The Respondent
further argues that there was uncontradicted evidence before the IAD indicating
that the Applicant’s youth criminal record was properly retained and released
to the Minister’s counsel. The Respondent says that the Applicant’s criminal
record clearly stated on its face that the record had been retained under
section 45.01 of the YOA. The criminal record states:
[36]
*******
THIS CRIMINAL HISTORY CONTAINS YOUTH COURT ENTRIES WHICH ARE RETAINABLE AS PER
SECTION 45.01 OF THE YOUNG OFFENDER'S ACT (1996) ** *****
[37]
The Respondent argues
that the Applicant’s youth criminal record was thus retained under section
45.01 of the YOA and was available for inspection because the Applicant had
been convicted of a criminal offence as an adult within the applicable period
of time after his youth sentence. Also, the Respondent submits that if the
Applicant's youth criminal record was properly retained under the YOA, then it
was also properly retained under the YCJA, since the provisions of the YCJA
relating to the retention and release of youth criminal records are identical
to the provisions of the former YOA.
[38]
The
Respondent’s argument amounts to saying that the youth criminal record could
only have been retained if the Applicant had committed the offence during the Period
of Access. In other words, the IAD should be able to rely upon the fact that
the record was retained as evidence of the legality of its release to the IAD.
There is no evidence to suggest, the Respondent argues, that the record was not
releasable and properly accepted as evidence.
[39]
In my view, this
argument does not really address the issue. There is no conclusive evidence on
the record that the Applicant’s conviction for sexual assault was dealt with by
way of summary conviction or by indictment. The only evidence available is the
clause contained in the criminal record, noted above, and the reference by the
Hearings Officer in the transcripts wherein she is recorded as having stated as
follows:
I
was unaware that we could release that information [relating to the Applicant's
conviction when he was a minor] and it only just came to my attention on Monday
that because of the Youth Criminal Justice Act if he has had another
conviction within five years of when his sentence finished for the conviction
as a minor that then it's releasable.
[Hearing
Transcript at page 4, lines 9-13.]
[40]
The Officer further
stated “I just included [the CPIC printout] so you [the IAD member] could see
where he was convicted in ‘95 and the sentence and then when the next
conviction was. So you would see that it was releasable” [Hearing Transcript at
page 4, lines 39-41].
[41]
In my view, the IAD
failed to properly inquire into whether the Applicant's youth criminal record
was releasable. The IAD’s reasons do not indicate whether any assessment was
made. It is clear, in my view, that the IAD relied on the clause found in the
criminal record and the submissions of the Hearings Officer. I find that this
evidence was insufficient to ensure, without further information, that the
charge was prosecuted by way of indictment.
[42]
I am not satisfied
that the mere inclusion of the clause by the police officer who prepared the
document outlining the Applicant's criminal record is sufficient, in and of
itself, to establish that the charge proceeded by way of indictment. With
nothing more, I cannot be certain that the police officer did not commit an
error when he included the clause in the statement containing the Applicant’s
criminal record. Further, the transcript does not make clear whether the
Hearings Officer obtained information that the charge was prosecuted by way of
indictment. I acknowledge that the Hearings Officer has a duty of candour.
However, without providing evidence to support her submission that the
Applicant's youth criminal record was releasable because, as she stated, “he
has had another conviction within five years of when his sentence finished for
the conviction as a minor,” I do not find that the evidence sufficiently
establishes that the charge proceeded by way of indictment and that the
Applicant's youth criminal record was therefore admissible. In my view, the
Hearings Officer was relying on the clause in the statement provided by the police
officer. I have already found that statement is insufficient to establish that
the Applicant’s youth criminal record could indeed be released. For these reasons,
I find that the IAD did not properly assess whether the Applicant's youth
criminal record was admissible. In my view this was a legal error.
[43]
The record shows that
the IAD did not turn its mind to this important issue and, even if it had done
so, there was no reliable evidence before it on whether the matter had been
dealt with summarily or by way of indictment. The IAD simply accepted the youth
criminal record on the basis that it was relevant.
[44]
The IAD clearly
relied upon this evidence and refers to it in the Decision. It has relevance
for the rehabilitation and credibility issues upon which the IAD based its
Decision. I cannot say that the IAD would have reached the same conclusions
without this evidence and it is not possible to say whether or not it should
have been admitted. Hence, on this ground alone, the matter should be returned
for reconsideration.
The Report to Crown Counsel
[45]
Although I believe
that this application must be allowed on the basis of the first issue alone,
the Applicant points out that the Report to Crown Counsel also figures in the
Decision as a basis for denying the appeal. This goes to the issues of
rehabilitation and the Applicant’s attempts to minimize his past criminal
activities.
[46]
In Thuraisingam v.
Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) (2004), 251 F.T.R. 282,
2004 FC 607 at paragraph 35, Justice MacTavish, after reviewing the
jurisprudence on this issue, drew the following distinction:
35. In my view, a
distinction must be drawn between reliance on the fact that someone has been
charged with a criminal offense, and reliance on the evidence that underlies
the charges in question. The fact that someone has been charged with an offense
proves nothing: it is simply an allegation. In contrast, the evidence underlying
the charge may indeed be sufficient to provide the foundation for a good-faith
opinion that an individual poses a present or future danger to others in
Canada.
[47]
The Applicant points
out that, on the facts of the present case, no charges were ever laid so that
the Report to Crown Counsel is not reliable in the absence of evidence that
would show that the Report correctly characterizes the underlying facts. The
Applicant says that the IAD, in this case, simply accepted the Report as fact.
What is more, this particular Report is suspect because it is anonymous and the
names of the investigating officers are deleted, and no officer or witness ever
testified before the IAD as to the factual accuracy of the Report. The
information was never tested and the IAD simply failed to determine whether it
was trustworthy.
[48]
The Applicant reminds
the Court of Justice Moseley’s words in Rajagopal v. Canada (Minister of Public Safety and Emergency
Preparedness) 2007 FC
523 at paragraph 43:
43. This is a mischaracterization
of the nature of the police report. The report contains allegations as the
officer recorded them upon investigating the complaint, not the findings of
fact reached by the court that convicted the applicant and imposed sentence.
Though the IAD could have referred to evidence or testimony to support an
argument that on a balance of probabilities the police report likely
characterized the underlying facts of the offence in an accurate manner, the
IAD did not do so. It is not open to the Court to revisit or re-weigh the
evidence in order to substantiate the findings of the IAD.
[49]
The Respondent,
however, points out that the way the Report was used by the IAD in the Decision
in this case does not fall foul on the problem that occurs in many of the older
cases. In the present case, the IAD was provided with direct evidence from the
Applicant himself regarding the factual basis for the offences referred to in
the Report. He attempted to minimize his responsibility but he did not deny the
facts upon which the offences referred to in the Report were based. Hence, the
Respondent argues, there was no problem in admitting into evidence, and
referring to, the Report to Crown Counsel because the Applicant provided
confirmation of the factual underpinnings. There was nothing inherently wrong
with the IAD admitting the Report into evidence and using it because the
Applicant provided the factual confirmation of its accuracy.
[50]
The Applicant argues
that there is no close correlation between the Report and what the Applicant
admitted in his testimony. For example, as the certified Tribunal Record shows
at page 173, lines 19-22 the Applicant provided his own version of events
regarding the assault on the babysitter. He admitted to some pushing. He denied
that his brother threatened his wife. Again, at page 171, lines 28-32, he says
that he told his wife he “should” kill her, not that he threatened to kill her.
[51]
The Applicant says
that the IAD simply accepted the Report as fact without determining, on a
balance of probabilities, whether it was reliable. Even if the Applicant lacks
credibility, this does not mean that the Report is reliable and the IAD is
silent on this crucial issue.
[52]
With respect to the incident at issue in the Report to Crown Counsel,
the IAD found that the Applicant “attempted to minimize the circumstances of
the offences committed on March 17, 2006 in Nanaimo, while admitting that the
incident took place.” After quoting extensively from the Report, the IAD stated
“I note that the incident on March 17, 2006 took place while the appellant was
serving a Conditional service Order and he breached condition 1 by failing to
keep the peace and be of good behaviour.” The IAD continued by noting as
follows:
When questioned about the events
on March 17, 2006, the appellant did not deny the incident; however he
attempted to minimize the significance of his actions by suggesting that it was
all due to a misunderstanding as he was provoked by the baby sitter’s [sic]
denial of access to his daughter. He insisted that his threats were hollow,
while acknowledging a damage caused by him to the wall in the apartment. The
appellant denied hitting his wife or that his daughter was traumatized by his
actions.
[53]
With respect to its analysis on this part, the IAD found that the
Applicant had not demonstrated an appreciable degree of rehabilitation. In its
conclusion, the IAD held that “[t]here are young children’s interests to have a
violence free existence for themselves and their mother” and that “[t]he
children of the appellant are directly affected by this decision but the
appellant had no significant and meaningful contact with them and his daughter
expressed concern for the safety of her mother.” The IAD then held that, taking
the best interests of the children affected by the Decision into account, there
were insufficient H&C considerations to warrant relief in the Applicant’s
circumstances.
[54]
In Veerasingam v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration),
2004 FC 1661 at para. 12, Justice Snider, in the context of whether the IAD had
erred by relying on a charge that had been withdrawn, held that the following
analysis should be undertaken when reviewing the IAD’s treatment of the
existence of criminal charges laid against an applicant:
12 Applying these
principles to the case before me, the questions that I must address are as
follows:
1. Was the IAD relying on the
charge to come to its conclusion or was it relying on evidence underlying the
charge?
2. Is the evidence underlying
the charge reliable and credible and, thus, sufficient to provide a foundation
for a good-faith opinion that, having regard to all the circumstances of the
case, the Applicant should be removed from Canada?
If the IAD has relied on the
charge to come to its decision or if the underlying evidence is not sufficient,
the IAD has erred.
[55]
After reading the Decision, it is clear that the IAD relied on the
Report and the proposed charges therein to support its finding that the
Applicant had not demonstrated an appreciable degree of rehabilitation and that
the Applicant posed a danger and it was therefore not in the children’s best
interests that the Applicant remain in Canada. In doing so, the IAD failed to
make the necessary distinction between the fact that the proposed charges were
mere allegations and that the Applicant had not been convicted of the offences.
I note that the IAD held that the Applicant “attempted to minimize the
circumstances of the offences committed on March 17, 2006 in Nanaimo, while
admitting that the incident took place” and also concluded that the Applicant
“breached condition 1 by failing to keep the peace and be of good behaviour”
[emphasis added]. Based on the evidence before it, including the Applicant’s
testimony in which he denied many of the allegations, and the fact that the Applicant
had not been convicted of the charges set out in the Report, the IAD’s finding
that the Applicant committed the offences in the Report was, in my view,
unreasonable. Although it was open to the IAD to consider the evidence
underlying the charges in question, it was not open to the IAD to conclude that
this evidence was sufficient to find that the Applicant was guilty of the
offences proposed in the Report.
[56]
Further, as noted above, the IAD’s Decision is void of any discussion
regarding the reliability and credibility of the Report to Crown Counsel. The
absence of any analysis in this regard suggests that the IAD failed to turn its
mind to whether the Report was reliable and credible. This omission constitutes
an error of law.
[57]
For the reasons above, I conclude that the IAD’s decision must be
set aside.
[58]
Counsel
are requested to serve and file any submissions with respect to certification
of a question of general importance within seven days of receipt of these
Reasons for Judgment. Each party will have a further period of three days to
serve and file any reply to the submission of the opposite party Following
that, a Judgment will be issued.
“James Russell”
Judge