Evidence of meeting #29 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 39th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was federal.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Meili Faille Bloc Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
What other costs are associated with having a case determined by the Federal Court?
Acting Chief Administrator, Office of the Chief Adminsitrator, Courts Administration Service, Federal Court of Canada
There is the judge's compensation and the time he devotes to each case. That is something that I did not consider.
Bloc
Acting Chief Administrator, Office of the Chief Adminsitrator, Courts Administration Service, Federal Court of Canada
No, I do not have those figures at all. I don't even have an idea of what they may be.
Bloc
Meili Faille Bloc Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
A report was drawn up by Mr. Frecker. Are you aware of it? The report was published and submitted to Justice Canada in 2002, and was commissioned by Justice Canada. I wanted to know what your thoughts were on it.
Acting Chief Administrator, Office of the Chief Adminsitrator, Courts Administration Service, Federal Court of Canada
I'm not familiar with it.
Bloc
Meili Faille Bloc Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
The report contained cost indicators for legal aid for immigration services, and also contained an opinion on the creation of an appeals section. The report said that if there were an appeals section, additional costs for legal services would range between $1.2 million to $2.6 million.
In your opinion, if an appeals section were created, do you think that the number of cases heard by the Federal Court would fall substantially?
Acting Chief Administrator, Office of the Chief Adminsitrator, Courts Administration Service, Federal Court of Canada
I'm sorry, I cannot answer your question.
Acting Chief Administrator, Office of the Chief Adminsitrator, Courts Administration Service, Federal Court of Canada
I'm not familiar with the document, therefore—
Bloc
Meili Faille Bloc Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
Between 2005 and 2006, the figures seemed to fall substantially. Is it simply because the Federal Court received fewer applications?
Acting Chief Administrator, Office of the Chief Adminsitrator, Courts Administration Service, Federal Court of Canada
That is the case, yes.
Bloc
Meili Faille Bloc Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
Therefore, the catch-up work done by the IRB necessarily had an impact.
Acting Chief Administrator, Office of the Chief Adminsitrator, Courts Administration Service, Federal Court of Canada
Absolutely.
Bloc
Meili Faille Bloc Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
I'd like to ask you another question in order to complete what Mr. Telegdi was saying.
Will you be able to provide us with the costs?
Acting Chief Administrator, Office of the Chief Adminsitrator, Courts Administration Service, Federal Court of Canada
I will certainly see if I can do so.
Bloc
Meili Faille Bloc Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
Can you please remind me how many judges at the Federal Court hear cases.
Acting Chief Administrator, Office of the Chief Adminsitrator, Courts Administration Service, Federal Court of Canada
There are 33 Federal Court judges who hear all of the cases.
Acting Chief Administrator, Office of the Chief Adminsitrator, Courts Administration Service, Federal Court of Canada
There's one judge, and always one judge.
Bloc
Meili Faille Bloc Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
There's one judge per case. Is anybody reviewing the work of these judges?
Acting Chief Administrator, Office of the Chief Adminsitrator, Courts Administration Service, Federal Court of Canada
No, because there are no appeals.
Bloc
Meili Faille Bloc Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
Therefore, there is nobody who checks on the judges. In recent years, I have read several rulings. Some judges seem to have expressed unease over the fact there is no appeals section. Really, a judicial review is not an appeal. I believe that will be all for now. I will have further questions later.
Conservative
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you for visiting with us this morning and for your briefing. It was very helpful to see that process laid out so clearly, and it will be useful for me in particular in the future, because what happens on your side of the process has always been a bit of a mystery to me.
I have a quick question: prothonotary is a word I haven't heard before; what is a prothonotary?
