Citizenship and Immigration committee  Our submission is that it should be strictly the panel that would recommend it. The minister would not have the power to override the panel.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  There's the Canadian Council for Refugees. I think if organizations were consulted, organizations could propose certain names of people who are very well recognized as having serious credentials.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Refugee determination is very complicated. It is a very individual process. Every individual must have the right to a hearing. That is in our charter, and it is recognized by the Supreme Court. It is very dangerous for a border officer to say he has a problem with someone or does not like someone's attitude or story.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  --not only lawyers' associations in this case, but from other organizations, human rights groups.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I can't speak for the CBA at this moment without consulting our membership on that point, but there are many individuals, human rights experts, such as professors....

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I would like to see a process that would be similar to where people are nominated--judges for example, where there are recommendations from stakeholders--

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I cannot comment on the idea of giving the agency the power to name certain countries. We have not taken a position on that. But I can say that the Canadian Bar Association is strongly opposed—let me be clear, because we talked about criteria—to having designated countries. We believe that will create injustices.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  We think that at the very least, the criteria should be included in the act, but that is not enough. There have been Federal Court decisions that gave the government fairly broad discretion to choose their... That was in connection with safe third countries, the agreement with the United States.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Members of the Canadian Bar Association have come out against this sort of title, because it does not necessarily describe the law, but we have not taken an official stand.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  First, I should say that we understand, unlike for humanitarian grounds applications, the concern about the current system for pre-removal risk assessments, because right now it's neither fast nor fair. It does, as it's currently structured, delay removals for a long period of time, and almost nobody gets accepted.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  It does happen now. Basically--

Citizenship and Immigration committee  No. Basically, right now somebody could make an application to the Federal Court for a stay of removal. The Federal Court will only delay the removal if they believe the person will suffer irreparable harm.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  We are extremely concerned about the appointment process. We think refugees and Canadians deserve to have a completely merit-based process. It's not complicated to do. Everybody knows what has to be done. You've heard this from human rights organizations. You've heard it from lawyers.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you very much. I first should say that I'm a Montrealer. I figured that, as a Montrealer, with the Habs doing so well, it gives me a little bit more credibility. I'm sure the Montrealers in the room would agree with me here.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I might be on shaky ground with some of you.