Date: 20000316

     Docket: A-563-98

CORAM:      DÉCARY J.A.

         LÉTOURNEAU J.A.

         NOËL J.A.

BETWEEN:

     Najib Antoine Jabre

     Appellant

AND:     

     Middle East Airlines (Air Liban)

     Respondent

AND:

     André Dugas, in his capacity as an adjudicator appointed under section 242

     of the Canada Labour Code, R.S.C., 1985, c. L-2

     Third party

     REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT

     (Delivered from the bench at Montréal, Quebec,

     on Thursday, March 16, 2000)

LÉTOURNEAU J.A.

[1] Despite his counsel"s efforts, the appellant has not shown that Mr. Justice Teitelbaum

     Page: 2

made an error in the case at bar which would justify our intervention.¹ Like Mr. Justice Teitelbaum, we are unable to find that the adjudicator"s decision was patently unreasonable and unsupported by the evidence.

[2] Moreover, upon reviewing the evidence in the record, we have concluded that contrary to what the appellant claims, the adjudicator did not refuse to hear three of the six witnesses the appellant wanted to testify. Counsel representing the appellant at adjudication consented to filing a written summary of what would have been the testimony of one of the witnesses. As for the other two witnesses, he said that he was willing to accept admissions from the respondent and file them with the adjudicator. It is impossible in these circumstances to find that there was a breach of the audi alteram partem rule.

[3] Concerning the appellant"s argument that there was a reasonable apprehension of bias owing to the adjudicator and counsel for the respondent"s alleged ties to the same law office three years earlier, we are satisfied that the judge properly instructed himself on the law regarding the applicable standard in this type of case and that a reasonable person, well-informed of the facts and source of the supposed reasonable apprehension of bias, would have concluded that it was non-existent.

     Page: 3

[4] For these reasons, the appeal will be dismissed with costs.

     Gilles Létourneau

     J.A.

Certified true translation

Peter Douglas

     FEDERAL COURT OF CANADA

     APPEAL DIVISION

     Date: 20000316

     Docket: A-563-98

Between:

     NAJIB ANTOINE JABRE

     Appellant

     AND

     MIDDLE EAST AIRLINES (AIR LIBAN)

     Respondent

     - and -

André Dugas, in his capacity as an adjudicator

appointed under section 242 of the Canada Labour

     Code, R.S.C., 1985, c. L-2

    

                        Third party

    

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

    

    

                

    

FEDERAL COURT OF CANADA

     APPEAL DIVISION

                                   

     NAMES OF COUNSEL AND SOLICITORS OF RECORD

COURT FILE NO.:             A-563-98

STYLE OF CAUSE:          NAJIB ANTOINE JABRE

     Appellant

                     AND

     MIDDLE EAST AIRLINES (AIR LIBAN)

Respondent

                     - and -

     André Dugas, in his capacity as an adjudicator appointed

     under section 242 of the Canada Labour Code,

                 R.S.C., 1985, c. L-2

Third party

PLACE OF HEARING:          MONTRÉAL, QUEBEC

DATE OF HEARING:          March 16, 2000

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF LÉTOURNEAU J.A.

DATED:                  March 16, 2000

APPEARANCES:

Henri Nahabedian                  for the appellant

Gilbert Poliquin                  for the respondent

SOLICITORS OF RECORD:

CHAHWAN & NAHABEDIAN          for the appellant

Montréal, Quebec

Gilbert Poliquin                  for the respondent

Montréal, Quebec     

    

    

                                                                                           Date: 20000316

     Docket: A-563-98

CORAM:      DÉCARY J.A.

         LÉTOURNEAU J.A.

         NOËL J.A.

BETWEEN:

     Najib Antoine Jabre

     Appellant

AND:

     Middle East Airlines (Air Liban)

     Respondent

AND:

     André Dugas, in his capacity as an adjudicator appointed

     under section 242 of the Canada Labour Code,

     R.S.C., 1985, c. L-2

     Third party

     Hearing held at Montréal, Quebec, on Thursday, March 16, 2000

     Judgment delivered from the bench at Montréal, Quebec, on Thursday, March 16, 2000

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT BY:          LÉTOURNEAU J.A.

    

__________________

¹          (1998), 151 F.T.R. 218.