Chairperson's Letter
to the Editor of the National Post
Re: “IRB
forced to reopen gangster suspect's case”, article published in
the National Post on June 1, 2004
The Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB)
is an administrative tribunal and a responsible institution. As such,
it has operated on the principle that it will react quickly and take the
necessary actions, whenever it becomes aware of allegations of inappropriate
activities. And that is exactly what the IRB
did in this instance: it hired Mr. Ed
Ratushny, who is a well-respected administrative law professor at the
University of Ottawa, to look into the allegations regarding the decision-making
process raised by an employee.
At the IRB,
we are committed to due process and fairness, not just for people appearing
before us, but also for our employees. Only when all information is available
and all those affected have had an opportunity to be heard, will we determine
what appropriate actions are required. These are fundamental principles
of government institutions in a democratic society and that's exactly
what can be expected from the IRB.
Jean-Guy Fleury
Chairperson
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