Citizenship and Immigration committee  I would say yes. If there's a two-stage process whereby initially the panel investigates and finds that the conduct is so egregious that it should be referred to a disciplinary hearing, then yes, it should be made public. The public deserves to know who these adjudicators are and

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Just to back up a little bit, I just want to clarify also that when they're hired, they don't take a substantive test on refugee and immigration law. That's one of the problems. It's not just training; it's a lack of knowledge for some members about the fundamentals of the law th

Citizenship and Immigration committee  No, I don't think so. I don't think that lawyers necessarily.... I mean, Sterlin and Cassano were lawyers. I don't know how they were hired. They obviously didn't have any testing.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Right.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I think Cassano was a public service appointment. She had been a minister's delegate before. From what I have heard, she was a known entity even then. Rumour has it that other members don't know how she was hired either.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Yes.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I know that the IRB does hold regular consultation meetings with certain stakeholders. For example, I know, as a member of the RLA, the Refugee Lawyers Association, that the Refugee Lawyers Association was consulted. What they actually did was give a pre-formed chart to the RLA a

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I would say absolutely not, although I'm not going to paint everybody with the same brush stroke. There are some wonderful members at the IRB, but I can tell you that right now I have an ongoing complaint against an individual who repeatedly blamed and asked my client why she sta

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Right.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  The determination of what is frivolous is obviously a discretionary exercise on its own. I agree that those complaints should be weeded out, but I don't want the chairperson to decide if a complaint is frivolous.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I think there might have been one or two for criminal behaviour. but as far as I know, there have been none for incompetence.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I think for the GIC appointments, it would. I don't think that's necessarily true for the public servants. I think that under the Financial Administration Act the board has the power to discipline and, I'm assuming, also fire members. I don't think that necessarily goes to the mi

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I've never seen any reporting on any complaints, and I've scoured the IRB website. I don't know if you have, and I've missed them.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  It would be chosen from a roster of individuals who have already been pre-approved, and the recommendation should come from experts within the immigration and refugee bar, non-governmental experts, similar to what happens with a judicial complaint or even with JPs.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  They'd possibly be a lay person, correct.