The process followed at the IRB is similar to a court process. If the minister gets involved, the procedure becomes contradictory: the two parties must prove their case and the decision-maker makes a ruling.
In the context where Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, or IRCC, must decide after a pre-removal risk assessment, the process involves two opponents: the decision-maker, who is at the hearing, and the asylum seeker—and their lawyer if they are represented. The process is more administrative than that of a court.