A-448-96

CORAM:      STONE, J.A.

         DÉCARY, J.A.

         McDONALD, J.A.

B E T W E E N:

     DONNA MCFARLANE

     Applicant

     -and-

     HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN

     Respondent

HEARD at Toronto, Ontario, Wednesday, May 28, 1997.

JUDGMENT delivered from the Bench at Toronto, Ontario, on Wednesday, May 28, 1997.

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT BY:          STONE, J.A.

     A-448-96

CORAM:      STONE, J.A.

         DÉCARY, J.A.

         McDONALD, J.A.

B E T W E E N:

     DONNA MCFARLANE

     Applicant

     -and-

     HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN

     Respondent

    

     REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT

     (Delivered from the Bench at Toronto, Ontario,

     on Wednesday, May 28, 1997)

STONE. J.A.:

     This application seeks to have reviewed and set aside a decision of an Umpire under the Unemployment Insurance Act, which upheld a decision of the Board of Referees that the applicant had left her employment without just cause.

     The issues before the Umpire as before the Board of Referees were whether the applicant had "just cause" for voluntarily leaving her employment having regard to all the circumstances including particularly those described in paragraphs 28(4)(a) and (j) of the Act. Those paragraphs read:

28(4) For the purpose of this section "just cause" for voluntarily leaving an employment exists where having regard to all the circumstances, including any of the following circumstances, the claimant had not reasonable alternative to leave the employment

(a) sexual or other harassment;

...

(j) antagonistic relations between an employee and a supervisor for which the employee is not primarily responsible.

It is apparent, in our view, that the learned Umpire did not explicitly address the question of whether the circumstances were such as to fall within paragraph 28(4)(a). That being so, the matter should be remitted for determination of that issue.

     The s. 28 application will be allowed, the decision of the Umpire of April 15, 1996, set aside and the matter referred back to the Chief Umpire or to an Umpire designated by him for determination of whether there existed circumstances as described in paragraph 28(4)(a) of the Act and, if there were, whether the applicant had "just cause" for leaving her employment.

"A.J. Stone"

J.A.

         FEDERAL COURT OF CANADA

     Names of Counsel and Solicitors of Record

COURT NO:                      A-448-96

STYLE OF CAUSE:             DONNA MCFARLANE

                        - and -

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN

           

DATE OF HEARING:             MAY 28, 1997

PLACE OF HEARING:             TORONTO, ONTARIO

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

OF THE COURT BY:             STONE, J.A.

Delivered from the Bench at Toronto, Ontario

on Wednesday, May 28, 1997

APPEARANCES:

                        Ms. Kristin A. Eliot

                             For the Applicant

                        Mr. Robert H. Jaworski

                             For the Respondent

SOLICITORS OF RECORD:

                    

                        Racioppo, Zuber, Coetzee, Dionne

                        Barristers and Solicitors

                        574 Princess Street, Suite 201

                        Kingston, Ontario

                        K7L 1C9

                       

                             For the Applicant

                        George Thomson

                        Deputy Attorney General

                        of Canada

                         

                             For the Respondent

                     FEDERAL COURT OF CANADA

                     Court No.: A-448-96

                     Between:

                     DONNA MCFARLANE

                                    Applicant

                     - and -

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN

                    

                                    Respondent

                     REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT