Canada (Attorney General) v. Loder, 2004 FCA 18

Date: 20040119

Docket: A-669-02

Citation: 2004 FCA 18

CORAM:        RICHARD C.J.

LÉTOURNEAU J.A.

NOËL J.A.

BETWEEN:

                                                ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA

                                                                                                                                                       Applicant

                                                                                 and

                                                                     NANCY LODER

                                                                                                                                                   Respondent

                                            Heard at Québec, Quebec, on January 19, 2004.

                      Judgment delivered from the Bench at Québec (Quebec), January 19, 2004.

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT BY:                                                   RICHARD C.J.

Date: 20040119

Docket: A-669-02

Citation: 2004 FCA 18

CORAM:        RICHARD C.J.

LÉTOURNEAU J.A.

NOËL J.A.

BETWEEN:

                                                ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA

                                                                                                                                                       Applicant

                                                                                 and

                                                                     NANCY LODER

                                                                                                                                                   Respondent

                                       REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT

                      (Delivered from the Bench at Québec, Quebec, on January 19, 2004)

RICHARD C.J.

[1]                 The Canada Employment Insurance Commission (the Commission) found that the respondent was not available for employment under section 18(a) of the Employment Insurance Act because she had initially quit her job to attend a course without leave of the Commission and because she had placed restrictions on the wage that she would be willing to accept for full time employment (applicant's record, p. 64).

[2]                 The Board of Referees allowed the respondent's appeal on the basis that she had "a history of working while in school" and was "actively seeking full time work" (ibid., p. 64).

[3]                 The Umpire confirmed the decision of the Board.

[4]                 Whatever might be said with respect to the Board's finding of a personal "history of working while in school" when such history is only two months long (in Landry v. Canada (1992), 152 N.R. 164 (F.C.A.), this Court was concerned with a work record established by the claimant "over the years"), we are of the view that the Board, and subsequently the Umpire, erred in not addressing the second ground alleged by the Commission, i.e. that the claimant had placed restrictions on her availability.

[5]                 The absence of personal conditions that might unduly limit the chance of returning to the labour market has been determined by this Court to be a factor that must be considered in reaching a conclusion with respect to availability (Faucher v. Canada (1997), 215 N.R. 314 (F.C.A.)).

[6]                 In the present case, there is clear evidence that the claimant would not accept full time work absent a certain wage and neither the Board nor the Umpire found any fault with the Commission's conclusion on that point.

[7]                 The application for judicial review will be allowed, the decision of the Umpire will be set aside and the matter will be referred back to the Chief Umpire or his designate for determination on the basis that the Commission's appeal from the decision of the Board of Referees should be allowed and the decision of the Commission restored.

[8]                 No costs were sought.

                                                                                                                                               « R. Richard »                      

                                                                                                                                                    Chief Justice

                                                    FEDERAL COURT OF APPEAL

                              NAMES OF COUNSEL AND SOLICITORS OF RECORD

DOCKET:                                                                                     A-669-02

APPLICATION FOR JUDICIAL REVIEW

STYLE OF CAUSE:                                                                  ATTORNEY GENERAL OF                                                                                           CANADA v. NANCY LODER

PLACE OF HEARING:                                                             QUEBEC, QUEBEC

DATE OF HEARING:                                                               JANUARY 19, 2004

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT:              CHIEF JUSTICE RICHARD

LÉTOURNEAU J.A.

NOËL J.A.

DELIVERED FROM THE BENCH BY:                               CHIEF JUSTICE RICHARD

DATED:                                                                                        JANUARY 19, 2004

APPEARANCES:

SOLICITORS OF RECORD: