Date: 19980205

     Docket: A-194-97

MONTRÉAL, QUEBEC, THE 5th DAY OF FEBRUARY 1998

CORAM:          THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE PRATTE

THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE DÉCARY

THE HONOURABLE DEPUTY JUSTICE CHEVALIER

BETWEEN:          JOCELYNE VIEL ET AL.,

Applicant,

AND

CANADA EMPLOYMENT AND

IMMIGRATION COMMISSION,

Respondent.

J U D G M E N T

The application for judicial review is dismissed.

Louis Pratte

J.A.

Certified true translation

M. Iveson

Date: 19980206

Docket: A-194-97

Coram:      THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE PRATTE

         THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE DÉCARY

         THE HONOURABLE DEPUTY JUSTICE CHEVALIER

Between:      JOCELYNE VIEL ET AL.,

     Applicant,

     AND:

     CANADA EMPLOYMENT AND

     IMMIGRATION COMMISSION,

     Respondent.

Hearing held at Montréal on Thursday, January 5, 1998

Judgment delivered at Montréal on Thursday, January 5, 1998

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT BY:      THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE PRATTE

Date: 19980206

Docket: A-194-97

CORAM:      THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE PRATTE

     THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE DÉCARY

     THE HONOURABLE DEPUTY JUSTICE CHEVALIER

                    

BETWEEN:      JOCELYNE VIEL ET AL.,

     Applicant,

     AND:

     CANADA EMPLOYMENT AND

     IMMIGRATION COMMISSION,

     Respondent.

     REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

     (Delivered from the bench at Montréal

     on Thursday, January 5, 1998)

PRATTE J.A.

[1]      The applicant challenges the decision of an Umpire who, in dismissing the appeal of the respondent Commission, determined that the applicant had had an interruption of earnings.

[2]      The reason the applicant is challenging a decision in her favour is because the Umpire stated in the reasons for his decision that after the termination of the applicant"s employment on the family farm, she should be considered "self-employed in farming" for the purposes of subsection 57(2) of the Unemployment Insurance Regulations .

[3]      Even if one accepts the applicant"s interpretation of the Umpire"s reasons, the fact remains that the Umpire"s statement was not necessary to his conclusion. It was mere obiter , or an expression of opinion that had no effect on the Umpire"s decision and is binding on neither the person who made it nor any other decision-making body which may be called upon to deal with this question.

[4]      The application for judicial review will therefore be dismissed on the sole ground that it is not directed against the Umpire"s decision.

     Louis Pratte

     J.A.

Certified true translation

M. Iveson

---

     FEDERAL COURT OF APPEAL

Date: 19980206

Docket: A-194-97

Between:      JOCELYNE VIEL ET AL.,

     Applicant,

         AND

CANADA EMPLOYMENT AND IMMIGRATION COMMISSION,

    

     Respondent.

    

     REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

    

     FEDERAL COURT OF APPEAL

     NAMES OF COUNSEL AND SOLICITORS OF RECORD

COURT FILE NO.:                  A-194-97

STYLE OF CAUSE:                  JOCELYNE VIEL ET AL.,

Applicant,

                             AND

CANADA EMPLOYMENT AND IMMIGRATION COMMISSION,

     Respondent.

PLACE OF HEARING:             Montréal, Quebec

DATE OF HEARING:             January 5, 1998

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT (THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE PRATTE, THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE DÉCARY AND THE HONOURABLE DEPUTY JUSTICE CHEVALIER)

DELIVERED FROM THE BENCH BY:      Pratte J.A.

DATED:                      January 5, 1998

APPEARANCES:                  Frédéric St-Jean          for the applicant

                             Carole Bureau          for the respondent

SOLICITORS OF RECORD:

Frédéric St-Jean                              for the applicant

         Sainte-Foy, Quebec

         George Thomson                              for the respondent

Deputy Attorney General of Canada

Montréal, Quebec