Date: 20100429
Docket: T-930-09
Citation: 2010 FC 458
Ottawa, Ontario, April 29,
2010
PRESENT: The Honourable Mr. Justice O'Reilly
BETWEEN:
KELLY
SHEARD
Applicant
and
ATTORNEY
GENERAL OF CANADA
Respondent
REASONS FOR JUDGMENT AND JUDGMENT
I. Overview
[1]
Ms. Kelly Sheard faces mental and physical challenges every day. She
experiences anxiety and depression. These conditions affect her ability to
maintain her health and to perform her role as a mother to her four children,
and as a wife to her husband, Doug. She has not been able to work for a number
of years.
[2]
In 2007, Ms. Sheard applied for disability benefits under the Canada
Pension Plan, R.S. C. 1985, c. C-8
(CPP). The Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development dismissed her
application because she had failed to show that her disability was severe and
prolonged, as required by the CPP. The Minister concluded that Ms. Sheard was
capable of doing some type of work, notwithstanding her limitations.
[3]
Ms. Sheard appealed the Minister’s decision to a Review Tribunal. The
Tribunal dismissed her appeal essentially for the same reasons given by the
Minister.
[4]
The Tribunal’s decision was dated July 8, 2008. Ms. Sheard received it
the following day. Eight months later, on March 28, 2009, Ms. Sheard tried to
appeal the Tribunal’s decision to the Pensions Appeal Board (PAB). According to
s. 83 of the CPP, an application for leave to appeal must be filed within 90
days of receiving the Tribunal’s decision, unless the PAB permits an extension
of time. The PAB denied Ms. Sheard leave to appeal because her application was
out of time. However, it noted that she was still entitled to ask for an
extension.
II. Analysis
[5]
Ms. Sheard seeks judicial review of the PAB’s decision because she still
feels that she merits disability benefits, given her ongoing medical issues.
With regret, I cannot allow her application for judicial review because the PAB
correctly concluded that her appeal was out of time.
III. The Proper Remedy
[6]
Ms. Sheard’s remedy is not judicial review in this Court. Rather, she
must ask the Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the PAB to grant her an extension of
time to appeal the Tribunal’s decision. In her request, she must provide the
following information:
a.
the date of the Review Tribunal’s decision;
b.
the date that she received it, and the place where the decision was
made;
c.
her full name and mailing address;
d.
the name of her representative, if she has one, and contact information
for that person;
e.
the grounds on which she is relying in seeking leave to appeal; and
f.
a summary of the facts and the evidence on which she intends to rely.
(See Rules 4
and 5 of the Rules of Procedure of the Pension Appeals Board for Appeals
Under Section 83 of the Canada Pension Plan, C.R.C., c. 390, reproduced in
the Annex to these reasons).
[7]
In addition, Ms. Sheard must explain why she is seeking an extension of
time. Normally, this involves showing that:
a.
she had always intended to appeal the Tribunal’s decision;
b.
her appeal has some merit;
c.
she has a reasonable explanation for her delay in seeking leave to
appeal; and
d.
granting the extension of time will not cause the Minister any
particular difficulties.
III. Conclusion and Disposition
[8]
I must dismiss Ms. Sheard’s application for judicial review because the
PAB did not err when it found her appeal was filed too late. There is no order
as to costs.
JUDGMENT
THIS COURT’S JUDGMENT is
that
1.
The
application for judicial review is dismissed.
2.
There
is no order as to costs.
“James
W. O’Reilly”
Annex “A’
|
Canada Pension Plan, R.S. 1985, c. C-8
83. (1) A party or, subject to the regulations, any
person on behalf thereof, or the Minister, if dissatisfied with a decision of
a Review Tribunal made under section 82, other than a decision made in
respect of an appeal referred to in subsection 28(1) of the Old Age
Security Act, or under subsection 84(2), may, within ninety days after
the day on which that decision was communicated to the party or Minister, or
within such longer period as the Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the Pension
Appeals Board may either before or after the expiration of those ninety days
allow, apply in writing to the Chairman or Vice-Chairman for leave to appeal
that decision to the Pension Appeals Board.
Rules
of Procedure of the Pension Appeals Board for Appeals Under Section 83 of the
Canada Pension Plan, C.R.C., c. 390
4. An appeal from a decision of a Review Tribunal
shall be commenced by serving on the Chairman or Vice-Chairman an application
for leave to appeal, which shall be substantially in the form set out in
Schedule I and shall contain
(a) the date of the decision of the Review
Tribunal, the name of the place at which the decision was rendered and the
date on which the decision was communicated to the appellant;
(b) the full name and postal address of the
appellant;
(c) the name of an agent or representative,
if any, on whom service of documents may be made, and his full postal
address;
(d) the grounds upon which the appellant
relies to obtain leave to appeal; and
(e) a statement of the allegations of fact,
including any reference to the statutory provisions and constitutional
provisions, reasons the appellant intends to submit and documentary evidence
the appellant intends to rely on in support of the appeal.
5.
An application for an extension of time within which to apply for leave
to appeal a decision of a Review Tribunal shall be served on the Chairman or
Vice-Chairman and shall set out the information required by paragraphs 4(a)
to (e) and the grounds on which the extension is sought
|
Régime
de pensions du Canada, L.R. 1985, ch. C-8
83. (1) La personne qui se croit lésée
par une décision du tribunal de révision rendue en application de l’article
82 — autre qu’une décision portant sur l’appel prévu au paragraphe 28(1) de
la Loi sur la sécurité de la vieillesse — ou du paragraphe 84(2), ou,
sous réserve des règlements, quiconque de sa part, de même que le ministre,
peuvent présenter, soit dans les quatre-vingt-dix jours suivant le jour où la
décision du tribunal de révision est transmise à la personne ou au ministre,
soit dans tel délai plus long qu’autorise le président ou le vice-président
de la Commission d’appel des pensions avant ou après l’expiration de ces
quatre-vingt-dix jours, une demande écrite au président ou au vice-président
de la Commission d’appel des pensions, afin d’obtenir la permission
d’interjeter un appel de la décision du tribunal de révision auprès de la
Commission.
Règles
de procédure de la commission d’appel des pensions régissant les appels
interjetés en vertu de l’article 83 du régime de pensions du Canada, C.R.C., ch. 390
4. L'appel de la décision d'un tribunal de révision est
interjeté par la signification au président ou au vice-président d'une
demande d'autorisation d'interjeter appel, conforme en substance à l'annexe
I, qui indique :
a) la date de la décision du tribunal de révision,
le nom de l'endroit où cette décision a été rendue et la date à laquelle la
décision a été transmise à l'appelant;
b) les nom et prénoms ainsi que l'adresse postale
complète de l'appelant;
c) le cas échéant, le nom et l'adresse postale
complète d'un mandataire ou d'un représentant auquel des documents peuvent
être signifiés;
d) les motifs invoqués pour obtenir l'autorisation
d'interjeter appel; et
e) un exposé des faits allégués, y compris tout
renvoi aux dispositions législatives et constitutionnelles, les motifs que
l'appelant entend invoquer ainsi que les preuves documentaires qu'il entend
présenter à l'appui de l'appel.
5.
La demande de prorogation du délai imparti pour demander l'autorisation
d'interjeter appel de la décision d'un tribunal de révision est signifiée au
président ou au vice-président et contient les renseignements visés aux
alinéas 4a) à e) et un exposé des motifs sur lesquels elle est
fondée.
|
Email this Content