Citizenship and Immigration committee  As civil servants, we must operate within the law we have. Obviously if Parliament feels that law is deficient, it's up to Parliament to take the necessary action.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Mr. Chair, the abeyance decision was a stay decision that was issued by the Federal Court of Appeal in the Taylor matter. So we are following the instructions of the Federal Court of Appeal in that matter. I'd also just like to clarify that we are working through some of these c

Citizenship and Immigration committee  This was worked out within the department, taking into consideration the ruling of the Federal Court of Appeal.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I can't recall exactly who made the decision. But it was certainly made within the department.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  It was certainly arrived at through a number of meetings. The decision to do this was communicated, definitely in writing.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I think that was the essence not only of his testimony, his response to questions, but also of the brief he gave the committee in advance of his testimony.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Mr. Chair, when Parliament passed the new Citizenship Act in 1977, the entire 1947 act was repealed. In citizenship law, the status or the citizenship that an individual may have would depend, sometimes, on the law that was in place at a particular major life moment—for example,

Citizenship and Immigration committee  In 1977 Parliament, as I said, repealed the law. In 2005 Parliament, via the mechanism of Bill S-2, permitted individuals in Mr. Chapman's circumstances, who had lost citizenship under the 1947 act as minors, to apply for a resumption of citizenship. Mr. Chapman and a number of o

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I can't comment on that; I'm not aware of it. I am aware that there is an amendment to the Citizenship Act that had been made by Parliament in 2005 that would permit individuals such as him to apply to resume their citizenship, and indeed, about 170 people have taken advantage of

Citizenship and Immigration committee  The money that had been set aside was actually money for implementation of an ultimate bill, of an ultimate piece of legislation. It was not money that was allocated for a review of citizenship legislation.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  There were three pending citizenship comprehensive bills that died on the order paper in previous Parliaments.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  They have all died on the order paper. The minister has indicated and the former minister had indicated that their legislative priorities were Bill C-14.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I understand Bill C-14 is in the House at report stage.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  The department is using the mechanisms that we have in order to present cases to the minister and the Governor in Council that fall within the minister's parameters. That mechanism is subsection 5(4) of the Citizenship Act and is the only area of discretion that's available to us

Citizenship and Immigration committee  It's actually a very good one. The short answer is that every case is just a tiny little bit different from every other case. A lot of them turn on some archaic provisions in the 1947 act, where individuals could lose citizenship without their knowing about it because of some ot