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.
9:50 a.m.
Acting Chief Administrator, Office of the Chief Adminsitrator, Courts Administration Service, Federal Court of Canada
I am not at all familiar with the process for appointing IRB commissioners.
Pardon me, but I can only concentrate on my four courts.
9:50 a.m.
Bloc
Meili Faille Bloc Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
In your role, do you make recommendations to improve how the courts function?
9:50 a.m.
Acting Chief Administrator, Office of the Chief Adminsitrator, Courts Administration Service, Federal Court of Canada
Absolutely, that is my role.
9:50 a.m.
Bloc
Meili Faille Bloc Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
What are the recommendations you would have made with respect to how refugee applications are processed?
9:50 a.m.
Acting Chief Administrator, Office of the Chief Adminsitrator, Courts Administration Service, Federal Court of Canada
I will ask Mr. Garnons-Williams to answer that question.
9:50 a.m.
Acting Registrar, Registry Branch, Courts Administration Service, Federal Court of Canada
Right now we're looking at the processing of the various applications that we have in the Federal Court. We are a paper-based court right now. Our vision, and what we're trying to move on, is to be an electronic court of the future. We're looking at that with respect to service to Canadians, with respect to results for Canadians. And for us that will mean faster processing times, more efficient use of court personnel, and quicker determinations. Monsieur Guénette has been spearheading the court's evolution from a paper-based court to an electronic one.
So that's one of the things we're moving on to improve our system.
9:50 a.m.
Bloc
Meili Faille Bloc Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
When these recommendations are put into effect by the court, could the savings and efficiencies be used to create an appeals section? People would then be able to appeal. Since you are already taking measures to create savings and efficiencies, could those savings then be redirected to establish an appeals section?
9:55 a.m.
Acting Chief Administrator, Office of the Chief Adminsitrator, Courts Administration Service, Federal Court of Canada
Certainly.
9:55 a.m.
Bloc
Meili Faille Bloc Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
I have one last question about statistics. How many cases do judges hear per year? What is the approval rate of applications under judicial review?
9:55 a.m.
Acting Chief Administrator, Office of the Chief Adminsitrator, Courts Administration Service, Federal Court of Canada
The approval rate? Okay.
9:55 a.m.
Bloc
Meili Faille Bloc Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
How many cases do the 33 judges hear, and what is the approval rate for cases under judicial review?
9:55 a.m.
Acting Chief Administrator, Office of the Chief Adminsitrator, Courts Administration Service, Federal Court of Canada
Okay.
9:55 a.m.
Acting Chief Administrator, Office of the Chief Adminsitrator, Courts Administration Service, Federal Court of Canada
Not at all.
9:55 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
I think that pretty well completes our questioning.
I want to thank both of you for coming here today to provide evidence. You've cleared up a lot of confusion about so-called backlogs.
We will suspend for a moment or two until our next witness, Mr. Frecker, comes before the committee.
Again, gentlemen, thank you very much.
10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
Does the committee want to deal with Mr. Karygiannis's motion?
I was going to ask, while we're waiting for the witnesses to come, if we want to deal with the motions, but it wouldn't be fair, I guess, to Nina.
Go see if Nina is around, and then we can deal with Mr. Karygiannis's motion while we're waiting for Mr. Frecker to arrive. If Mr. Frecker has not arrived, then we can deal with Mr. Siksay's motion as well. But we'll just start with Mr. Karygiannis's motion when our people get back in the room here, while we're waiting for Mr. Frecker.
I said while we're waiting for Mr. Frecker to arrive—apparently he hasn't arrived here yet—we could deal with Mr. Karygiannis's motion. Do we have agreement to do that? No?
10 a.m.
An Hon. member
Once everyone is here.
10 a.m.
Conservative
Ed Komarnicki Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
I don't know that we want to necessarily deviate from the agenda. I'm still getting some information that I'd like to have. We can't change the agenda whenever you feel like it.
10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
We don't have to deal with it, because Ms. Grewal left when we indicated that we were waiting for Mr. Frecker to arrive, and it wouldn't be fair—we're not really sitting—to Ms. Grewal to deal with any of the motions. She is gone on the basis that Mr. Frecker hadn't arrived. So we will leave it until she gets back.
By the way, we're not back into session yet. Now, what were you going to say? This is totally informal. We are not back into session.
10 a.m.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
Mr. Chair, on a point of order, I'm sure that if you were to seek—and probably even call the question—to deal with the motions at the top of the list even before we get Mr. Frecker into questioning—
10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
I'm reluctant to do that. Our agenda is set now. We operate on the basis of cooperation in committee. We have our agenda set. I don't believe it would be fair to all committee members if we change our agenda in the middle of the proceedings.
10 a.m.
Liberal
Jim Karygiannis Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON
It's a simple vote, Mr. Chair. Or are we hiding something?
10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Norman Doyle
We are going to sit until 11:30 this morning, so both motions will be dealt with.
10 a.m.
Liberal
Blair Wilson Liberal West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
Mr. Chair, just for expediency in saving all our time, we've been waiting now five, six minutes, and the witness has not appeared.