Docket: T-924-11
Citation:
2015 FC 883
Ottawa, Ontario, July 17, 2015
PRESENT: The
Honourable Mr. Justice LeBlanc
BETWEEN:
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PAUL ABI-MANSOUR
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Applicant
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and
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CANADA REVENUE AGENCY
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Respondent
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JUDGMENT AND REASONS
[1]
The Applicant seeks judicial review of a
decision of the Canadian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) dated May 11,
2011, dismissing his complaint that the Respondent, the Canada Revenue Agency
(CRA), discriminated against him on the basis of his national or ethnic origin
when he was screened out of an appointment process to staff a position of IT Infrastructure
Support Analyst. The complaint was brought pursuant to section 7 of the Canadian
Human Rights Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. H-6 (the Act).
[2]
The Commission found that the Applicant was
screened out of the process because he did not meet the education requirements
for the position, not because of his national or ethnic origin and concluded, pursuant
to subsection 44(3)(b)(i) of the Act, that an inquiry before the Canadian Human
Rights Tribunal into the Applicant’s complaint was not warranted.
[3]
The Applicant claims that the Commission’s
decision must be set aside on the basis that the Commission was biased, that
its investigation was not neutral and thorough, and that it made unreasonable
findings of fact based on the evidence before it.
[4]
For the Reasons that follow, this application
for judicial review is dismissed.
I.
Background
A.
The Appointment Process at Issue
[5]
In 2008, CRA initiated a process to staff a
CS-01 IT Infrastructure Support Analyst position (Appointment Process Number
2008-7921-HQ-7921). The Applicant applied for the position. The Notice of Job
Advertisement (NJO) and Statement of Staffing Requirements (SSR) listed the
following educational requirements:
EDUCATION
A University Degree or College Diploma in
Computer Science, Information, Technology, Information Management or another
specialty relevant to the position to be staffed**; or
(Alternative) Any other University Degree
with a minimum of 3 years relevant IT experience;
**Individuals who
presently occupy or previously occupied a CS position at CRA are deemed to meet
this minimum CS Education Standard.
[6]
The NJO also specified that the only applicants
who would be considered for assessment would be those “who
clearly demonstrate on their application that they meet the pre-requisite
requirements (area of selection, education & experience) for this position”.
[7]
In his on-line application for this appointment
process, the Applicant indicated he had a degree in Computer Science from Laval University and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Ottawa. As a result, he
was screened into the process. Further into that process, all candidates were required
to provide proof of education. The Applicant did so by submitting his degree
in Education from the University of Ottawa, and a Certificate from the Ontario
College of Teachers Qualifications. However, instead of submitting proof of
his Computer Science degree from Laval University, the Applicant provided CRA
with a copy of his degree from the University of Lebanon in Computer Science.
[8]
At that point, pursuant to CRA’s Staffing
Program Policy, the Applicant’s candidacy could have been withdrawn from the
appointment process on the basis that he had submitted incorrect information on
is on-line application. However, the Applicant was extended the benefit of the
doubt and was given the opportunity, in accordance with CRA’s CS Education
Standard, to either provide a Canadian equivalency of his foreign degree from a
recognized credential evaluation organization, or to submit proof that he had a
Masters degree from a Canadian University, or that he had been accepted as a
candidate in a Canadian University Masters program.
[9]
In response to CRA’s request, the Applicant chose
not to submit proof of equivalency of his foreign degree by a recognized
credential evaluation organization. Instead, he asserted that both Laval University and the University of Ottawa had recognized his foreign degree by virtue of
the fact they accepted him into what he considered to be Masters Programs. CRA
took the view that both programs (Bachelor in Education and “Diplôme de 2ième cycle en génie logiciel”) were not
Masters Programs. As a result, the Applicant’s degree from the University of Lebanon in Computer Science was not taken into consideration in the
assessment of the education requirement of the appointment process at issue.
[10]
As for the Applicant’s degree in Education from
the University of Ottawa and his Certificate from the Ontario College of Teachers
Qualifications, CRA found these credentials not relevant for the position at
issue as they were neither a degree nor a diploma “in
another specialty relevant to the position to be staffed”. Since the Applicant
only had 2.5 years of IT experience, he also did not meet the alternative
educational requirement of a minimum of 3 years IT experience.
[11]
In the absence of proof of appropriate education
or required IT experience, and as the Applicant had no current or previous CRA
experience in a CS position, CRA screened him out of the appointment process at
issue.
B.
The Complaint to the Commission
[12]
The Applicant filed his complaint before the Commission
in July 2009. The complaint against CRA was dealt with by the Commission under
sections 43 and 44 of the Act. The relevant provisions read as follows:
43. (1) The Commission may designate a person, in this Part
referred to as an “investigator”, to investigate a complaint.
|
43. (1) La Commission peut charger une personne, appelée, dans la
présente loi, « l’enquêteur », d’enquêter sur une plainte.
|
[…]
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[…]
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44. (1) An investigator shall, as soon as possible after the
conclusion of an investigation, submit to the Commission a report of the
findings of the investigation.
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44. (1) L’enquêteur présente son rapport à la Commission le plus
tôt possible après la fin de l’enquête.
|
[…]
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[…]
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(3) On receipt of a report referred to in subsection (1), the
Commission
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(3) Sur réception du rapport d’enquête prévu au paragraphe (1), la
Commission :
|
(a) may request the Chairperson of the Tribunal to institute an
inquiry under section 49 into the complaint to which the report relates if
the Commission is satisfied
|
a) peut demander au président du Tribunal de désigner, en
application de l’article 49, un membre pour instruire la plainte visée par le
rapport, si elle est convaincue :
|
(i) that, having regard to all the circumstances of the complaint,
an inquiry into the complaint is warranted, and
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(i) d’une part, que, compte tenu des circonstances relatives à la
plainte, l’examen de celle-ci est justifié,
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(ii) that the complaint to which the
report relates should not be referred pursuant to subsection (2) or dismissed
on any ground mentioned in paragraphs 41(c) to (e); or
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(ii) d’autre part, qu’il n’y a pas lieu de
renvoyer la plainte en application du paragraphe (2) ni de la rejeter aux
termes des alinéas 41c) à e);
|
(b) shall dismiss the complaint to which the report relates if it
is satisfied
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b) rejette la plainte, si elle est convaincue :
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(i) that, having regard to all the circumstances of the complaint,
an inquiry into the complaint is not warranted, or
|
(i) soit que, compte tenu des circonstances relatives à la
plainte, l’examen de celle-ci n’est pas justifié,
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(ii) that the complaint should be dismissed on any ground mentioned
in paragraphs 41(c) to (e).
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(ii) soit que la plainte doit être rejetée pour l’un des motifs
énoncés aux alinéas 41c) à e).
|
[13]
In accordance with subsection section 43(1) of
the Act, the Commission, upon receipt of the Applicant’s complaint, designated
an investigator to investigate the complaint (the Investigator). The Investigator
examined the documentary evidence submitted by the parties and conducted
interviews with the Applicant, a CRA representative, Mr. Pierre Routhier, and
the Head of the Evaluation Sector, Admissions Officer, at the University of
Ottawa, Ms. Émilie Bertrand.
[14]
The Investigator issued his report on January
25, 2011. Having regard to all the circumstances of the complaint, and pursuant
to subparagraph 44 (3)(b)(i) of the Act, the Investigator recommended the dismissal
of the complaint on the grounds that an inquiry by the Canadian Human Rights
Tribunal was not warranted as, in his view, the evidence did not support the
Applicant’s allegation that he was screened out of the appointment process
because of his national or ethnic origin.
[15]
Both the Applicant and the Respondent were
provided with the opportunity to comment on the Investigator’s report, which
they both did. Pursuant to subsection 44(1) of the Act, the Investigator submitted
his report to the Commission and, on May 11, 2011, the Commission, after
reviewing the Investigator’s report as well as the parties’ submissions in
response to the report, dismissed the Applicant’s complaint on the basis that it
did not warrant an inquiry. In particular, the Commission found the
Applicant’s submissions to the Investigator’s report to be non-persuasive, and
it specially rejected the Applicant’s allegation that the Investigator had been
bribed so as to influence the reports’ recommendation as an “empty allegation” with “no
basis whatsoever in the evidence”.
II.
Issues
[16]
What needs to be determined in this case is
whether the investigation conducted pursuant section 43 of the Act, which led
to the Commission’s decision to dismiss the Applicant’s complaint, was neutral
and thorough, and whether the Commission’s decision itself is reasonable based
on the evidence before it.
[17]
The Applicant also claims that the Investigator was
not impartial.
III.
Standard of Review
[18]
The Commission’s role under section 44 of the
Act has long been described as a screening function comparable to that of a
judge presiding over a preliminary inquiry (Cooper v Canada (Human Rights
Commission), [1996] 3 S.C.R. 854, [1996] SCJ No. 115 (QL)). This role, in any
given case, is to determine whether an inquiry by the Canadian Human Rights
Tribunal is warranted having regard to all the circumstances of the complaint.
The central component of that role is that of assessing “whether there is a reasonable basis in the evidence for
proceeding to the next stage”, not “to determine
if the complaint is made out” (Cooper, above at paras 52-53; Syndicat
des employés de production du Québec et de l'Acadie v Canada (Canadian Human
Rights Commission), [1989] 2 S.C.R. 879, [1989] SCJ No. 103, at paras 898-899;
Keith v Correctional Service of Canada, 2012 FCA 117, at para 43; Tutty
v Canada (Attorney General), 2011 FC 57, at para 12; Dupuis
v Canada (Attorney General), 2010 FC 511, 368 FTR 269 at para 12). In short,
the Commission is not an adjudicative body, this role having been vested by the
Act to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (Cooper, at para 53).
[19]
The law on the standard of review applicable to
the Commission’s decisions to dismiss or refer a complaint as a result of the
exercise of this screening function is now well established. As these
screening decisions involve a determination of questions of fact or of mixed
fact and law, it has been held that they should be reviewed on a reasonableness
standard (Tutty, above at para 14; Keith, above at paras 47-48; Sketchley
v Canada (Attorney General), 2005 FCA, 263 D.L.R. (4th) 113, at
para 47).
[20]
In Bell v Communications, Energy and
Paperworkers Union of Canada, [1999] 1 FC 113 (FCA), the Federal Court of
Appeal held that the Commission had been given “a
remarkable degree of latitude when it is performing its screening function on
receipt of an investigation report”, which meant, as a general rule,
that “Parliament did not want the courts at this stage
to intervene lightly in the decisions of the Commission” (Bell,
at para 38; see also Marciel v Canada (Revenue Agency), 2007 FC 244, at
para 20; Attaran v Canada (Attorney General), 2013 FC 1132, at para 52; Herbert
v Canada (Attorney General), 2008 FC 969, at para 18).
[21]
While it needs to be cognizant of the fact that
the decision to dismiss a complaint is a final decision precluding further
investigation or inquiry under the Act (Keith, above at para 48), the
Court will not disturb a screening decision by the Commission simply because it
might have come to a different conclusion on the evidence. It is not the
Court’s role either to dissect the Investigator's report on a microscopic level
or second-guess the Investigator's approach to his task (Attaran, above
at para 100; Guay v Canada (Attorney General), 2004 FC 979, 256 FTR 274,
at para 36; Besner v Canada (Attorney General), 2007 FC 1076, at para
35). The Court rather will only intervene if the Commission’s decision “does not stand up to a somewhat probing analysis” (Marceil,
above at para 20).
[22]
In the context of a review of the fairness of
the process, including whether the investigation was thorough and neutral, the
standard of review is correctness (Tutty, above at para 14; Mission
Institution v Khela, 2014 SCC 24; [2014] 1 S.C.R. 502; Joshi v Canadian
Imperial Bank of Commerce, 2014 FC 552, at para 55; Guerrier v Canadian
Imperial Bank of Commerce, 2013 FC 937, at para 7).
IV.
Analysis
[23]
I believe it is important, before embarking into
the analysis, to underline what fundamentally separates the parties in this
case.
[24]
The Applicant insists that the “main and only dispute” between the parties is whether
his Computer Science degree from the University of Lebanon is equivalent to a
degree from Canada (Applicant’s Memorandum of Fact and Law, at paras 27 and
29). He claims that this degree has been accepted by the University of Ottawa
as equivalent to a Canadian Bachelor’s degree and, as a result, the
Investigator had no alternative but to find that he met the educational
requirement of the appointment process at issue, and that the only reason why
he had been screened out of that process had to be related to his national or
ethnic origin.
[25]
CRA claims that the issue is that the
Applicant’s foreign degree was not assessed through a recognized credential
evaluation organization – here the Canadian Information Centre for
International Credentials – as specified in CRA’s CS Education Standard, the
Applicant having chosen to rely on other evaluations.
A.
The investigation was neutral and thorough
[26]
The Applicant alleges three deficiencies in the
investigation.
[27]
First, he contends that the Investigator ignored
crucial evidence that came from the interview with Ms. Bertrand, from the
University of Ottawa, who confirmed that the University of Ottawa considered
the degree he obtained in Lebanon as equivalent to a Canadian Bachelor degree
and, therefore, sufficient to enrol him for a Bachelor’s degree in Education.
The Applicant adds that since his foreign degree was deemed equivalent to a
Canadian Bachelor degree, the Bachelor degree he obtained from the University of Ottawa should have been accepted as a Masters degree, since it was his second
degree, and thus should have sufficed to retain his candidacy.
[28]
I disagree. The Investigator did not ignore
this evidence. He noted that the University of Ottawa had indeed determined
that the Applicant’s foreign degree was equivalent to a Canadian degree but he also
noted Ms. Bertrand’s evidence that the Bachelor degree in Education completed
by the Applicant at that University was an undergraduate program, not a Masters
degree program. Therefore, this evidence confirmed the fact that, contrary to
his contention, the Applicant had not been accepted in a Masters program at the
University of Ottawa. The fact that Ms. Bertrand confirmed that the Applicant’s
degree from the University of Lebanon had been recognized by the University of Ottawa is irrelevant since the University of Ottawa was not a recognized
credential evaluation organization pursuant to CRA’s CS Education Standard.
[29]
Second, the Applicant submits that the
Investigator failed to conduct a thorough and neutral investigation by ignoring
the evidence related to the fact he was screened into two other CRA appointment
processes for CS positions requiring the exact same education profile as the appointment
process at issue. He claims that the fact that he had been screened into these
two other processes is evidence that his foreign degree in Computer Science was
accepted as being equivalent to a Canadian degree.
[30]
Again, this evidence was not ignored by the
Investigator. It was considered but given no weight as it was found to be irrelevant
to the decision to screen the complaint out of the appointment process at
issue. Paragraph 22 of the Investigator’s report clearly explains the
reasoning for excluding this evidence. It states that although they had the
same educational requirements, these two other competitions were run by
different individuals in different geographical administrative sections of CRA,
were done independently from one another, and would not have had any impact on
another appointment process. More importantly, it states that these
competitions created pools that have now expired, making it impossible to
verify whether the Applicant was properly screened-in, or if more documents, such
as proof of enrolment or equivalency, were provided at the time.
[31]
I am satisfied that it was open to the
Investigator and the Commission to assign no probative value to the fact the
Applicant had been screened into these two other appointment processes as the
circumstances surrounding the manner in which those processes were conducted
could not be verified and, in any event, they were run independently from one
another and from the appointment process at issue. As I indicated earlier in
these Reasons, the Court will not disturb a screening decision by the
Commission simply because it might have come to a different conclusion on the
evidence. It will only intervene if the Commission’s decision “does not stand up to a somewhat probing analysis” (Marceil,
above at para 20). Here, with respect to that particular issue, I find that it
does.
[32]
Finally, the Applicant challenges the
thoroughness of the investigation on the basis that the Investigator refused to
consider his enrolment at Laval University in a Masters program and did not
interview anyone from that University.
[33]
I agree with CRA that the Applicant cannot raise,
at the complaint stage, his acceptance in a Masters program as an element that
should be considered to determine whether he was properly screened out of the
appointment process at issue. As CRA points out, this information was not part
of his application materials. The Applicant, as indicated earlier, did not
even provide proof of his degree in Computer Science from Laval University when required to do so. As a result, the Masters program from Laval University was not considered by CRA when it screened out the Applicant. The Applicant’s
acceptance in the Masters program of that University was therefore irrelevant
for the purposes of assessing the Applicant’s complaint making it neither
useful nor necessary for the Investigator to obtain Laval University’s input.
[34]
I find that the Applicant’s argument regarding
his Masters program from Laval University is unfounded.
[35]
The Commission does have a duty to conduct
neutral and thorough investigations but here, I am satisfied that the Applicant
has failed to identify any serious omissions in the manner in which the
investigation was conducted. He was given ample opportunity to respond to the
report, his submissions were considered, all the alleged ignored evidence was
addressed, and the Investigator was justified not to further pursue the
Applicant’s contention regarding Laval University. As a result, I agree with
CRA that the Commission was provided with an adequate and fair basis for
determining whether a further inquiry into the Applicant’s complaint was
warranted and that it was justified in relying upon the Investigator’s report,
together with the responding submissions of the parties, in arriving at its
decision.
[36]
I see no reason, therefore, to interfere with
the Commission’s decision on the basis of the alleged deficiencies in the
investigation.
B.
The Commission’s decision is reasonable
[37]
The Applicant alleges that the Commission’s
decision is fatally flawed in three ways.
[38]
First, he says that the Investigator applied the
wrong test in determining whether the complaint gave rise to a prima facie
case of discrimination. In particular, he claims that the Investigator ought
not to have considered CRA’s evidence before determining whether to recommend
or not that his complaint be dismissed.
[39]
This argument cannot stand. As I already
indicated, the Commission has a screening function. Its role is to decide
whether a further inquiry into a complaint is warranted or not, based on the
evidence adduced before it by both parties. The Commission’s function, at this
stage, is to conduct an investigation, not to establish a prima facie
case of discrimination, which is the role of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal,
as evidenced by the Federal Court of Appeal decision in Lincoln v Bay
Ferries ltd, 2004 FCA 204, a case on which the Applicant is relying in
support of his contention.
[40]
It is worth reminding that, in that case, the
Federal Court of Appeal found that although the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal
had taken an incorrect approach for determining the existence of a prima
facie case of discrimination, it was not fatal to its decision as the
overall conclusion that the complaint had not been made out was supported by
the evidence (Lincoln, above at para 23). Even assuming, therefore,
that it was incumbent upon the Commission to establish a prima facie
case of discrimination in the present case, the fact that the Investigator
might not have applied the correct test in that regard would be of no
consequence unless it was established that the overall conclusion that an
inquiry is not warranted was not supported by the evidence.
[41]
That demonstration has not been made. In order
to meet the education requirement of the appointment process, the Applicant had
to provide proof that he had either a university degree or college diploma in
Computer Science, Information, Technology or Information Management or in
another specialty relevant to the position to be staffed, or any other university
degree, with a minimum of 3 years experience in IT. Since he provided proof of
a foreign degree in Computer Science, the Applicant was required to have his
degree evaluated for Canadian equivalency through the Canadian Center for International Credentials, or to provide proof that he had a Masters degree from a
Canadian university, or that he had been accepted into such a program. These
requirements were clearly set out in the NJO.
[42]
The evidence on record is that the Applicant
insisted that his foreign degree had already been accepted by two Canadian universities,
and as such, there was no need for him to go through the equivalency assessment
process required by the NJO. However, this is not what was required by the
rules of the appointment process at issue. What was required was proof of
equivalency from a credential evaluation organization recognized by the Canadian Center for International Credentials. This requirement was clear and applicable
to all candidates to the appointment process at issue. There was no evidence
before the Commission that the Applicant had been treated differently than the
other candidates with respect to this requirement.
[43]
As Ms. Bertrand’s evidence was to the effect
that the Applicant’s Bachelor degree program in Education was an undergraduate
program, not a Masters degree program, and as the Applicant did not provide
proof of his acceptance into a Masters program at Laval University at the
appropriate time, it was open to the Commission to find that the Applicant had
neither a Masters degree from a Canadian university nor had he been accepted
into such a program, as required by CRA’s CS Education Standard. It was also
open to the Commission, in my view, to find that the Applicant’s Bachelor
degree from University of Ottawa or Certificate from the Ontario College of
Teachers Qualifications were not university degrees or
college diplomas in “Computer Science, Information, Technology or Information
Management or in another specialty relevant to the position to be staffed”.
[44]
It was ultimately the Applicant’s responsibility
to clearly demonstrate in his application materials that he met all the
essential qualifications for the position at issue and that he had complied
with the NJO’s instructions (Abi-Mansour v Department of Foreign Affairs,
2013 FC 1170, at para 88; confirmed Abi-Mansour v Deputy Minister of Foreign
Affairs and International Trade Canada, 2015 FCA 135). There is evidence
on record rationally supporting the finding that he did not.
[45]
The Applicant contends – and this is his second
point - that CRA’s CS Education Standard, if interpreted narrowly, violates
section 10 of the Act as it leaves room for discrimination. He claims that
this was a crucial element to the assessment of his complaint but it was
disregarded by the Investigator. Section 10 of the Act provides that it is a
discriminatory practice for an employer to establish or pursue a policy or
practice that deprives or
tends to deprive an individual or class of individuals of any employment
opportunities on a prohibited ground of discrimination.
[46]
The difficulty with this argument is that it did
not form part of the Applicant’s complaint to the Commission. This is a new
argument. As CRA points out, the duty to investigate requires the Commission
to deal with the essential or fundamental aspects of a complaint. The section
10 argument was not one of them, and the Commission was under no obligation to contemplate
it.
[47]
Finally, the Applicant claims that the
Commission did not provide sufficient reasons in its decision to dismiss his
complaint. This claim cannot stand. It is true that the Commission’s reasons
for decision are brief but they make direct reference to the Investigator’s
report as forming part of the Commission’s decision. Investigations reports
have been held by this Court to form a part of the Commission's reasons where
the Commission renders a decision consistent with the recommendation of its
investigator (Sketchley v Canada (Attorney General), 2005 FCA 404,
[2006] 3 FCR 392 at para 37; Tutty v Canada (Attorney General), 2011 FC
57, 382 FTR 227, at para 13). (Tutty, above, at para 14). This is the
case here.
[48]
In addition, the Commission did refer in its
reasons to the Applicant’s responding submissions to the Investigator’s report
as being non-persuasive, indicating thereby that it had indeed considered
them. Reasons for decisions are sufficient if they allow the reviewing court
to understand why the tribunal made its decision and permit it to determine
whether the conclusion is within the range of acceptable outcomes (Newfoundland
and Labrador Nurses’ Union v Newfoundland and Labrador (Treasury Board),
2011 SCC 62, [2011] 3 S.C.R. 708, at para 16).
[49]
I find that, as a whole, the Commission’s
reasons for decision meet these requirements.
C.
No reasonable apprehension of bias
[50]
The Applicant claims that the Investigator has
given legal advice to CRA and decided to dismiss his complaint before
completing the investigation, giving rise to a reasonable apprehension of
bias. He does not seem to be pursuing his initial allegation that the
Investigator was bribed, an allegation vehemently denied by the Commission.
[51]
The burden of demonstrating either the existence
of actual bias or of a reasonable apprehension of bias rests on the party
alleging bias. As an allegation of bias is a very serious allegation since it
challenges the integrity of the decision-maker whose decision is at issue, the
burden of proof is high. Mere suspicion of bias is therefore not sufficient to
establish actual bias or a reasonable apprehension of bias. (R v RDS,
[1997] S.C.R. 484, at para 112). Furthermore, considering the non-adjudicative
nature of its screening function, the Commission is not bound by the same
standard of impartiality as are the courts. The applicable test is therefore
not whether there exists a reasonable apprehension of bias on the part of the Investigator
but whether the Investigator “approached the case with
a closed mind” (Sanderson v Canada (Attorney General), 2006 FC
447, 290 FTR 83, at para 75; Gerrard v Canada (Attorney General), 2010
FC 1152 at para 53; Gosal v Canada (Attorney General), 2011 FC 570, at
para 51).
[52]
I find that the evidence submitted by the
Applicant does not support his allegation of bias. He has not even provided
support for a suspicion of bias. Besides his own bare allegations, he has not
shown that the Investigator provided legal advice to CRA or predetermined his
complaint by approaching it with a closed mind.
[53]
In fact, to show that legal advice was provided
to CRA, the Applicant relies on a phrase found in the written notes from a
phone call between the Investigator and Mr. Routhier from CRA which says “I explained that CRA has provided information to prove its
case”. The Applicant contends that this statement, made at an early
stage of the investigation, shows bias on the part of the Investigator.
However, this statement is taken completely out of context. That context was
that CRA had raised a preliminary objection, under subsection 41(1)(d) of the
Act, that the Commission shall not deal with the Applicant’s complaint because
it was “trivial, frivolous, vexatious or made in bad
faith”. As CRA had already provided its defence on the merits of the
complaint, the Investigator explained that “it would be
easier to investigate than do a section 41 Report”.
[54]
It seems clear to me that what the Investigator
was discussing here was that both parties had already submitted evidence, and
that the investigation on the substance of the complaint could not proceed as
the preliminary objection would need to be addressed first. As CRA points out,
if anything, the Investigator’s concern was to avoid delaying the investigation
on the substance of the complaint when everything was in place to proceed with
it. He was not providing “legal advice” to the
Respondent.
[55]
The Applicant’s allegation that the Investigator
has predetermined his complaint is not supported by the evidence either. In
that regard, the Applicant claims that the Investigator refused to see his
point of view and that had he done so, he would have had no choice but to send
the complaint to the Tribunal. Instead, he claims, the Investigator “could only see the respondent’s bald arguments and false
evidence and nothing else” (Applicant’s Supplementary Memorandum of Fact
and Law, at para 9).
[56]
The fact the Investigator came to the conclusion
that there was no evidence that the Applicant was screened out because of his
national or ethnic origin is not evidence that he approached the Applicant’s
complaint with a closed mind. The fact he found the Applicant’s allegations
and submissions to be non-persuasive is not evidence either that he had
pre-determined the case. The Investigator was entitled to disagree with the
Applicant’s position.
[57]
In summary, a reasonable person would not think
that the Investigator did not have an open mind when he investigated the
Applicant’s complaint. The allegation of bias is therefore dismissed as is the
Applicant’s judicial review application.
[58]
Given the outcome of this proceeding, costs
should normally be awarded against the Applicant. The Applicant urges me
however not to grant costs to CRA as Counsel for CRA have adopted, according to
him, a strategy based on “lying and defamation”,
“patently unreasonable” arguments and “bald manipulations” (Applicant’s Supplementary
Memorandum of Fact and Law, at para 25).
[59]
It goes without saying that these allegations
are of the most serious nature. Being totally unsubstantiated, they are
clearly abusive. The Applicant seems to have developed a habit of
systematically attacking those who disagree with his positions, including
members of the Court. This is obviously unacceptable.
[60]
In the present case, this means, at the very
least, that I shall not exercise my discretion to depart from the general rule
that costs should follow the event. The judicial review application is
therefore dismissed with costs to CRA.