Galamay Magday

Galamay Magday v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2018 FC 1087

Judge: Annis

Date Heard/Decided: September 19/October 30, 2018

Applicant’s Counsel: Massood Joomratty

Minister’s Counsel: Tasneem Karbani (DOJ)

Tribunal Reviewed: Unnamed officer, Consulate General of Canada in Hong Kong

The Applicant applied for a work permit as a live-in caregiver (LIC). The officer questioned the bone fides of the offer of employment because the employer (one of two spouses/parents) was only making slightly more than what she would spend on the LIC. The other spouse/parent made considerably more.

Justice Annis found that the officer’s questioning of the bone fides was reasonable, but that as the officer failed to set it out clearly in the reasons, the application had to be allowed.

You should be using Zotero

Assuming that everyone else is, like me, constantly going down the research rabbit-hole and finding stuff that’s interesting but not applicable – and then a week later knowing you had something for this but you can’t find it anymore: Zotero to the rescue.

Zotero is a light weight, free, research source management tool, available for multiple platforms. I use it with a Google Chrome add-on, Zotero Connector (also available for Safari and Firefox). When I’m on a page I want to save, I just click a button and Zotero saves it to the folder I was last using – I can change the folder or add tags as I do it, but it defaults to the last folder and no tags.

If it’s a live webpage, the software will store a link and an html file. If it’s a PDF, the software will download it and, if it can, distill the metadata for you. It’s not always great at that, and is better at traditionally-formatted journal articles, for example, than NGO reports – but you can correct and edit the information as well.

My favourite, favourite part is that you can sync across devices. You can sync just the metadata, or you can actually sync the documents themselves. A free account comes with 300 MB storage, but more can be purchased. There are other ways to sync documents, which I haven’t yet tried.

Zotero can create bibliographies using programmed citation styles, and McGill Guide, 7th ed. is one of the available styles. I don’t use that function much. I’m also not using the collaborative research functions, but there are some.

In any event, I’ve been using it for a few months and it has saved my several hours’ frustration trying to track something down. Four and half out of five gavels or whatever symbol we should use for legal stuff.

Toronto Star article: “Teresa Gratton’s final days, in her own words”

Brenden Kennedy, “Teresa Gratton’s final days, in her own words”, Toronto Star, 16 December 2017

Live link: https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2017/12/16/teresa-grattons-final-days-in-her-own-words.html

Archive link: http://web.archive.org/web/20171216174831/https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2017/12/16/teresa-grattons-final-days-in-her-own-words.html

February 2017 pro-immigrant cases

• Singh v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 132; http://canlii.ca/t/h03cj; February 2, 2017; Barnes J.; refusal of application under Federal Skilled Worker Express Entry Program
• Aslanyan v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 133; http://canlii.ca/t/gxbpq; February 3, 2017; Strickland J.; refusal of application for an open work permit
• Toribio v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 145; http://canlii.ca/t/gxf8g; February 7, 2017; Heneghan J.; finding by an officer of misrepresentation
• Vigneswaralingam v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 151; http://canlii.ca/t/gxf8c; February 8, 2017; Simpson J.; IAD refusal to grant a stay of removal
• Mandric v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 162; http://canlii.ca/t/gxfwv; February 9, 2017; Brown J.. refusal of ARC
• Wong v. Canada (Attorney General), 2017 FC 152; http://canlii.ca/t/gxlsd; February 10, 2017; Southcott J.; refusal to issue passport
• Mukilankoy c. Canada (Citoyenneté et Immigration), 2017 CF 161; http://canlii.ca/t/gxhhn; February 13, 2017; Locke J.; refusal of overseas H&C
• Al Khayyat v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 175; http://canlii.ca/t/gxhhl; February 13, 2017; Strickland J.; ID finding of inadmissibility for commission of war crimes/crimes against humanity
• Punia v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 184; http://canlii.ca/t/gxj8r; February 14, 2017; Russell J.; refusals of TRVs
• Chowdhury v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 189; http://canlii.ca/t/h03tt; February 15, 2017; Southcott J.; ID finding of inadmissibility for membership in an impugned organization
• Thanabalasingham v. Canada (Attorney General), 2017 FC 190; http://canlii.ca/t/gxpxc; February 15, 2017; Russell J.; refusal of Record Suspension application
• Chamorro v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 192; http://canlii.ca/t/gxlsf; February 15, 2017; Shore J.; RAD refusal of refugee appeal
• Orbizo v. Canada (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship), 2017 FC 203; http://canlii.ca/t/gxn0d; February 20, 2017; Strickland J.; refusal of H&C
• Bajwa v. Canada (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship), 2017 FC 202; http://canlii.ca/t/gxn0c; February 21, 2017; Russell J.; refusals of work permit extensions
• Ali v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 213; http://canlii.ca/t/h03v2; February 22, 2017; Heneghan J.; RPD refusal of refugee claim
• Nagornyak v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 215; http://canlii.ca/t/h1qtg; February 22, 2017; Strickland J.; RPD refusal of refugee claim
• Abakumova v. Canada (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship), 2017 FC 218; http://canlii.ca/t/h03ck; February 23, 2017; Simpson J.; RAD refusal of refugee appeal
• Haynes v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 220; http://canlii.ca/t/h03cm; February 23, 2017; Simpson J.; RAD refusal of refugee appeal
• Zhong v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 223; http://canlii.ca/t/h067h; February 23, 2017; Boswell J.; refusal of H&C on reconsideration
• Lhundup v. Canada (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship), 2017 FC 224; http://canlii.ca/t/h067g; February 23, 2017; Heneghan J.; refusal of an overseas family member of a protected person (non-genuine marriage)
• Mpoyi v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 228; http://canlii.ca/t/h03ch; February 23, 2017; Simpson J.; refusal of H&C
• Tsikaradzei v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 230; http://canlii.ca/t/h067q; February 23, 2017; Boswell J.; RPD refusal of refugee claim
• Tine c. Canada (Citoyenneté et Immigration), 2017 CF 231; http://canlii.ca/t/h03cf; February 24, 2017; Martineau J.; refusal of H&C
• Pineda Cabrera v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 239; http://canlii.ca/t/h067f; February 24, 2017; Strickland J.; RPD refusal of refugee claim
• Jeyakumar v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 241; http://canlii.ca/t/h0nld; February 27, 2017; McVeigh J.; RAD refusal of refugee appeal
• Nweke v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 242; http://canlii.ca/t/h03v1; February 27, 2017; Strickland J.; RPD refusal of refugee claim
• Uwitonze c. Canada (Citoyenneté et Immigration), 2017 CF 245; http://canlii.ca/t/h03v0; February 28, 2017; Roussel J.; refusal of H&C

Danyi: discounting psychological assessments

Danyi v. Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness), 2017 FC 112

Boswell J., 30 January 2017, online at: http://canlii.ca/t/gxhhr

Decision under review: Refusal to defer removal

For Applicants: Richard Wazana (Wazana Law, Toronto)

For Respondent: Tamrat Gebeyehu, Dept. of Justice (Toronto)

The Applicants were a Roma family, citizens of Hungary, who had exhausted all avenues for protection under ss.96/97, but had a pending humanitarian and compassionate application (H&C), based in large part on a psychological assessment of one of the Applicants, a child, which concluded that return to Hungary would be harmful to him (paras. 3-4). His mother also suffered from PTSD and would have difficulty caring for him as a result (paras. 4 and 5). The Applicants cited Tiliouine,[1] for the position that a Removals Officer must consider whether the removal itself will cause harm.

The Applicants also challenged the standard position that a Removals Officer need only look at the short-term best interests of a child involved in terms of what they would face in the country of removal: “The Applicants also submitted to the Officer that Alex’s best short-term interests would be protected by deferring removal until after his overall best interests had been fully assessed in the context of the pending H&C application” (para. 4). Other grounds on which the deferral was requested was interruption of the child’s education and (non-psychological) medical treatment one of the Applicants was undergoing (paras. 4 and 6).

On standard of review, the Court noted that overall the test was reasonableness (paras. 14-15), but that the case law was not clear as to whether the standard of review on whether the Removals Officer fettered discretion would be reasonableness or correctness (paras. 16-18). The Court found that is was not necessary to answer the question.

The Court reiterated the standard line of cases on the narrowness of the Removals Officer’s discretion on deferral, and that Removals Officers need not perform “mini” H&Cs or other types of detailed assessments (paras. 28-32). The Court also reiterated the case law stating that Removals Officers need only conduct limited, short-term assessments of best interests of the child (paras. 33-35).

However and despite this, the Court found that the Removals Officer’s consideration of the child Applicant’s psychological assessment was unreasonable:

In this case, the Officer’s assessment of Alex’s mental health condition is problematic. Because enforcement officers must assess the short-term BIOC, the Officer was required to reasonably consider the psychiatric evidence about Alex’s short-term interests. The psychiatric assessment states that Alex’s return to Hungary would deprive him of his current sense of safety and stability since his past experiences there were highly traumatizing and hostile. The assessment found that his return would cause a relapse of his PTSD symptoms and would compromise his parents’ ability to meet his emotional and physical needs. Given the psychiatrist’s findings, the Officer’s conclusion that removal “may cause a period of adjustment” for Alex cannot be justified because it is not responsive to Alex’s short-term and present emotional, social, and psychological interests.

Although the Officer stated that his limited discretion was centered on evidence of “serious detrimental harm”, the Officer unreasonably minimized and discounted the serious detrimental harm evidenced and identified by the psychiatrist whose report concerning Alex clearly and unequivocally stated that: “…return to an environment that he and his parents have experienced as highly traumatizing and hostile…will cause a relapse of his symptoms of PTSD as well as compromise his parents’ ability to meet his emotional and physical needs.” In the face of this psychiatric evidence, it cannot be said that Alex would suffer merely a period of adjustment upon return to Hungary. In this case, the Officer did not reasonably consider or adequately assess the fact that removal itself would trigger or cause psychological harm to Alex. (paras. 36-37)

The Court also found that the Removals Officer’s assessment on the mother’s psychological assessment was also unreasonable, based on the Supreme Court’s analysis in Kanthasamy:

Although Kanthasamy involved an H&C application, unlike the present case which concerns a request to defer removal, in my view the Supreme Court’s foregoing comments are equally applicable in the context of this case. The Officer in this case, like the officer in Kanthasamy, unreasonably discounted the psychologist’s finding concerning Veronika’s mental health. The Officer faulted the psychologist’s report for being dated and not stating whether Veronika currently suffers from suicide ideation or is currently at risk for suicide. The Officer in this case, much like the officer in Kanthasamy, also found “insufficient medical evidence … to indicate that Veronika has sought or received mental health treatment, as recommended” and that “insufficient evidence was presented to indicate that Veronika could not pursue mental health treatment upon her return to Hungary.” The Officer did not reasonably consider or adequately assess the fact that removal itself would trigger or cause further psychological harm to Veronika, and his treatment of the medical evidence concerning Veronika, in view of Kanthasamy, is unreasonable. (para. 39)

 

---

[1] Tiliouine v. Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness), 2015 FC 1146 (http://canlii.ca/t/glhwl); see e.g. at para. 11: “…where, as here, there is evidence of irreparable psychological harm resulting from the removal itself, it is not enough for the removal officer to simply examine the availability of health care and treatment in the home country (Sha v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 1269 at para. 58; Davis v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2011 FC 97, at para. 19).”

Aslanyan: ignoring evidence

Aslanyan v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 133

Strickland J., 3 February 2017, online at: http://canlii.ca/t/gxbpq

Decision under review: Refusal of overseas application for work permit as a spouse of a study permit holder

For Applicant: Aleksei Grachev (Toronto)

For Respondent: Tamrat Gebeyehu, Dept. of Justice (Toronto)

The Applicant’s spouse was in Canada on a study permit, and he applied for an open work permit. The Court agreed that he had made submissions with his application – although less clearly than he could have done - that he wanted an open work permit to allow him to work in Canada intermittently during his occasional visits to his family here (paras. 6 and 8). The Applicant had also submitted letters of support – essentially corroborative and character references – as well as submitting and providing evidence that through his job in Russia he was the family’s sole breadwinner, and furthermore that he was the principle carer for his dependent mother and could only be replaced for short periods of time (paras. 11-12).

None of the evidence provided was referenced in the Officer’s “reasons”, which were the FOSS/GCMS notes (para. 13).

The Respondent argued that the Applicant was clearly planning to leave his employment in Russia, as the Officer had determined, because his leave letter stated he had 28 days but his work permit application was for two years (para. 14). The Court found that in the context of the whole application, the Applicant clearly intended to work on-and-off during his visits to Canada, which would be made occasionally over a two-year period (para. 15). The Officer ignored evidence and the decision was thus overturned.

Singh: failure to engage with evidence after fairness letter

Singh v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 132

Barnes, 2 February 2017, online at: http://canlii.ca/t/h03cj

Decision under review: Refusal of application under Federal Skilled Worker/Express Entry Program

For Applicant: Raj Sharma, Stewart Sharma Harsanyi (Calgary)

For Respondent: Gwen MacIsaac, Dept. of Justice (Saskatoon)

The Applicant applied under FSW/EE, as a financial auditor/accountant, and the Officer doubted his experience (para. 2). In his FSW/EE application, Mr. Singh claimed he had worked as an auditor with a particular accounting firm between December 1, 2011 and August 14, 2013; however, in previous student and temporary work visas, he had allegedly not listed this same work experience (paras. 2-3).

The Officer sent a fairness letter to Mr. Singh, stating that his work experience was in doubt based on an absence of corroborating evidence, failure to declare the work history in earlier applications, and that period of work overlapping with another at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (para. 4). Mr. Singh replied that he had not been employed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India but doing a co-op placement through them; he also submitted additional corroborating evidence; and he explained that he had omitted it from the previous applications through a misunderstanding, thinking that the previous applications required him to list his work experience in Canada (para. 5). He stated further that he would have included this experience because it would have been helpful to his applications – the clear implication of his statement is that he would have included it had he known he could.

The Officer’s refusal letter simply states that after the issue was raised, “You replied with further information and documents which were fully reviewed and assessed. However based on balance of probabilities and the evidence provided I am not satisfied that you acquired foreign work experience you have declared.” (para. 6). According to the FOSS/GCMS notes (para. 7), the Officer rejected Mr. Singh’s explanations because:

• Mr. Singh stated he “would not have” failed to mention his work experience in the previous applications, but he did fail to mention it;
• The fact the he was only mentioning it now “brings into doubt the credibility” of Mr. Singh; the Court went on to note that Mr. Singh had actually given several documents for corroboration, including those specifically requested by the officer, and to agree with counsel for Mr. Singh that the Officer had “failed to engage in a meaningful way with the evidence” (paras. 8-9);
• During the period of overlap, he could not have been both working and studying, both on a full-time basis; the Court went on to note that as he was doing a co-op or internship, this was precisely what he was doing (para. 10);
• The Officer also raised the issue that Mr. Singh had not yet been able to gain employment in Canada; the Court notes that this is a non sequitur and irrelevant (para. 11)

An Officer cannot merely pay lip service to submissions in response to a fairness letter; he or she must genuinely engage with the submissions.

Participatory Government, December 30, 2016

Consultations:

Provincial-Ontario Consultations:

Basic Income Pilot consultation

• Open until January 31, 2017
• Go here for details

Federal Consultations:

• None particularly relevant at this time

Bills:

Federal Bills at Committee (House):

• None particularly relevant at this time

Federal Bills at Committee (Senate):

C-6, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act and to make consequential amendments to another Act

• LEGISinfo here
• Currently before the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, contact info here

S-219, Non-Nuclear Sanctions Against Iran Act

• LEGISinfo here
• Currently before the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, contact info here

S-226, Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (Sergei Magnitsky Law)

• LEGISinfo here
• Currently before the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, contact info here

Proposed Federal Regulations:

Regulations Amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (Gaz. Vol. 150, No. 50 — December 10, 2016)

• Open until January 9, 2017
• Re: information sharing with UK, Australia and New Zealand
• Proposed regulations, RIAS etc available here
• Contact: 

Emmanuelle Deault-Bonin
Deputy Director
Identity Management and Information Sharing
Admissibility Branch
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
180 Kent Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1L1
Telephone: 613-437-5894
Fax: 613-957-9187
Email: CIC.FCCR-RCCN.CIC@cic.gc.ca

Rules Amending the Federal Courts Rules (Gaz. Vol. 150, No. 45 — November 5, 2016)

• Open until January 4, 2017
• Re: monetary limits to procedures, books of authorities, appeal books, confidential documents, etc
• Proposed regulations, RIAS etc available here
• Contact:

Andrew Baumberg
Secretary of the Rules Committee of the Federal Court of Appeal and the Federal Court
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0H9
Telephone: 613-947-3177
Fax: 613-943-0354
Email: andrew.baumberg@fct-cf.gc.ca

Federal House of Commons e-Petitions:

e-331 (Immigration) (British Home Children)

• Open until January 5, 2017
• Information and signing available here

e-547 (Refugees) (waiver of travel loans to refugees)

• Open until January 28, 2017
• Information and signing available here

e-553 (Iran) (re-establishing diplomatic relations)

• Open until January 5, 2017
• Information and signing available here

e-563 (Iran) (assistance to Canadian prisoners and diplomatic pressure)

• Open until January 13, 2017
• Information and signing available here

e-572 (Foreign students) (prioritizing settlement of those who study in Canada)

• Open until January 20, 2017
• Information and signing available here

e-609 (Syria) (provide assistance)

• Open until February 10, 2017
• Information and signing available here

e-626 (Ethiopia) (condemn atrocities against protesters)

• Open until February 24, 2017
• Information and signing available here

e-628 (Crimes against humanity) (recognition of ISIL atrocities)

• Open until February 24, 2017
• Information and signing available here

e-696 (Foreign policy) (paying ransom for people abducted abroad)

• Open until March 29, 2017
• Information and signing available here

Varga v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2013 FC 494

Varga v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2013 FC 494 

May 10, 2013, Justice Rennie

This case includes helpful analysis on two main points: ignoring grounds (including standard of review) and dealing with a hostile decision maker. There is also a comment on when it is innappropriate to impugn a failure to produce corroborating evidence.

Ignoring Grounds

The Applicants were a Roma woman and children. Their evidence including mention of domestic problems. Rennie J. found the RPD ought to have considered domestic violence as a ground:

[5] Refugee claims involve fundamental human rights. Accordingly, it is critical that the Board consider any ground raised by the evidence even if not specifically identified by the claimant: Canada (Attorney General) v. Ward, 1993 CanLII 105 (SCC), [1993] 2 SCR 689; Viafara v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), 2006 FC 1526 (CanLII), para. 13. It is, in most circumstances, a serious and potentially fatal error to ignore part of a refugee claim: Mersini v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), 2004 FC 1088 (CanLII), para. 6.

[6] The failure of the Board to address a ground of persecution, raised on the face of the record, is a breach of procedural fairness, reviewable on a correctness standard. Reasonableness and deference can have no role when there is no assessment of the evidence.

Hostile Decision Maker

Rennie J. also commented:

[11] Finally, while the Board must test a claimant’s credibility, and do so at times vigorously, this must be done with sensitivity, professionalism and an open mind. In this case, the Board member’s manner of questioning fell far short of this standard.

...
[13] ...A Board member may not “egg a witness on,” or pepper his questioning with sarcastic remarks. 

In the decision, examples are given (at paras. 12-13) of challenging both the claimant and her children on their answers in a belligerent manner, e.g. "It’s not so easy now." and "It’s not so funny now, is it?  I didn’t think so." The Member also questioned the claimant aggressively, asking her irrelevant questions (e.g. did he look Roma), not letting her answer and challenging her answers before she had completed them (paras. 14-20).

Corroborating Evidence

The decision also notes that it is unreasonable to fault a claimant or applicant for a failure to produce corroborating documents where the evidence indicates that none would exist:

[9] Portions of the reasons given in support of the refusal have no relationship to the evidence. For example, the Board faulted the applicant for not producing supporting documentation to corroborate her attempts to seek state protection. This is difficult to understand in light of the applicant’s evidence that she did not seek protection. The Board stated that supporting evidence was required “[i]n light of the finding that many aspects of the applicant’s claim were not credible.” However, the Board did not indicate that it disbelieved any aspect of the applicant’s testimony. 

[10] The Board also stated that the applicant “had sufficient time to obtain the documents needed to substantiate her claim,” referring to the lack of police reports. The applicant did not go to the police and obviously could not obtain non-existent police reports.

Participating in Government, December 15, 2016

Consultations:

Consultation on the Review of Record Suspensions

• Open until December 16, 2016
• Go here for details

Federal Bills at Committee (House):

Federal Bills at Committee (Senate):

S-219, Non-Nuclear Sanctions Against Iran Act

• LEGISinfo here
• Currently before the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, contact info here

S-226, Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (Sergei Magnitsky Law)

• LEGISinfo here
• Currently before the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, contact info here

Proposed Federal Regulations:

Regulations Amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (Gaz. Vol. 150, No. 50 — December 10, 2016)

• Open until January 9, 2017
• Re: information sharing with UK, Australia and New Zealand
• Proposed regulations, RIAS etc available here
• Contact: 

Emmanuelle Deault-Bonin
Deputy Director
Identity Management and Information Sharing
Admissibility Branch
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
180 Kent Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1L1
Telephone: 613-437-5894
Fax: 613-957-9187
Email: CIC.FCCR-RCCN.CIC@cic.gc.ca

Rules Amending the Federal Courts Rules (Gaz. Vol. 150, No. 45 — November 5, 2016)

• Open until January 4, 2017
• Re: monetary limits to procedures, books of authorities, appeal books, confidential documents, etc
• Proposed regulations, RIAS etc available here
• Contact:

Andrew Baumberg
Secretary of the Rules Committee of the Federal Court of Appeal and the Federal Court
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0H9
Telephone: 613-947-3177
Fax: 613-943-0354
Email: andrew.baumberg@fct-cf.gc.ca

Federal House of Commons e-Petitions:

e-626 (Ethiopia)

• Open until February 24, 2017
• Information and signing available here

e-696 (Foreign policy)

• Open until March 29, 2017
• Information and signing available here

e-553 (Iran)

• Open until January 5, 2017
• Information and signing available here

e-609 (Syria)

• Open until February 10, 2017
• Information and signing available here

e-563 (Iran)

• Open until January 13, 2017
• Information and signing available here

e-517 (Canadian citizenship)

• Open until December 21, 2016
• Information and signing available here

e-572 (Foreign students)

• Open until January 20, 2017
• Information and signing available here

REPOSTED: TPS racial profiling and carding: OHRC deputation at November 18, 2013 public meeting inviting public comment on PACER report and Mukherjee report | Ontario Human Rights Commission

TPS racial profiling and carding: OHRC deputation at November 18, 2013 public meeting inviting public comment on PACER report and Mukherjee report | Ontario Human Rights Commission

Gallows humor

I haz it, as demonstrated by the fact that this article made me snort-laugh: Khaled Mashaal: Hamas Leader Hunted by Netanyahu Haunts Israel - TIME. Lessons, lessons...



...well, Mossad, maybe don't try to assassinate people using a method from Shakespeare? Because that worked out ever so well for Claudius.



...and maybe don't do it in a way practically designed to piss off a leader who's spent three decades bucking regional trends and trying to reach a peace agreement? I mean, no Middle East leader is without blemish, but come on!



...also, maybe don't make hilarious melodramatic warnings that you might try again (“The terrorist...must understand that anyone who executes terror will not enjoy immunity”) when the previous attempt sounds like a rejected Get Smart plot.

This is not a thing: Non-Muslim attorney in hijab wants other women in court to wear hijab

This is old, but it came up in looking into the backstory of current 9/11 trial shenanigans. Look, no one should wear distractingly revealing clothes in court. And although I'm pretty sure she's misinterpreting the purpose of hijab/modest clothing in Islam (supposed to be about the wearer, not about other people, and for that reason not supposed to be imposed) I guess she can wear whatever she wants. But I get the distinct feeling this is a stunt move, meant to draw attention, which is the opposite of hijab. This is underscored by the behaviour of the defendants.



And see above re: not imposing it on others.



Attorney in hijab defends call for other women at 9/11 hearing to wear 'appropriate' clothing | Fox News

From BoingBoing: The Problem with "Nature vs. Nurture" When It Comes to Sexuality

THANK GOD, and I hope they never do find a single gene, because step number 2 will be trying to eradicate it.



From BoingBoing: The Problem with "Nature vs. Nurture" When It Comes to Sexuality

Switchblades

True story: for most of my life I thought that because switchblades were illegal, all folding knives including my beloved wee victornox was illegal. (You could hurt someone with it, but they'd have to agree to hold still.) This was underscored when, as an articling student, the guards at Federal Court told me I'd have to put the knife, which I'd brought by accident on my keychain, into the locker with my cellphone (totally acceptable rule) and then listed it on the receipt as "switchblade".

Switchblade - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

November Positive Cases 2012

Palmer v. Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness) [and Citizenship and Immigration], 2012 FC 1277 (CanLII), Gagné, IAD misrepresentation refusal, 2012-11-02

Ferko v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1284 (CanLII), Kane, refugee refusal, 2012-11-02

Kannuthurai v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1288 (CanLII), Campbell, refugee refusal, 2012-11-02

Rodriguez v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1291 (CanLII), partial, Shore, refugee refusal, 2012-11-05

Le Blanc v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1292 (CanLII), Shore, H&C refusal, 2012-11-05

Kitomi v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1293 (CanLII), Shore, IAD sponsorship refusal, 2012-11-05

Brown, Donavan Derrick v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1305 (CanLII), Russell, PRRA refusal, 2012-11-08

B306 v. Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness), 2012 FC 1282 (CanLII), Gagné, ID finding of inadmissibility under s. 37, 2012-11-09

Russom v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1311 (CanLII), Near, live-in caregiver refusal, 2012-11-09

Nay v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1317 (CanLII), Rennie, refugee refusal, 2012-11-13

Petrosyan v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1319 (CanLII), Rennie, Federal Skilled Worker refusal, 2012-11-13

Shetty v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1321 (CanLII), Near, Federal Skilled Worker refusal, 2012-11-14

Katinszki v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1326 (CanLII), de Montigny, refugee refusal, 2012-11-15

Benhmuda v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1222 (CanLII), Gleason, H&C and Convention refugee abroad refusal, 2012-11-16

Chen, Xue Liang v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1324 (CanLII), Gleason, refugee refusal, 2012-11-16

Kemenczei v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1349 (CanLII), Russell, refugee refusal, 2012-11-21

Gecaj v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1369 (CanLII), Russell, refugee refusal, 2012-11-27

Strusberg Ramos v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1372 (CanLII), Mandamin, refugee refusal, 2012-11-28

Mason v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1380 (CanLII), Lemieux, refugee refusal, 2012-11-28

Jacob v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1382 (CanLII), Lemieux, H&C refusal, 2012-11-28

Ashraf Gondal v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1383 (CanLII), Lemieux, H&C refusal, 2012-11-28

Patel v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1389 (CanLII), Lemieux, IAD sponsorship refusal, 2012-11-28

Zaree Robat Torki c. Canada (Citoyenneté et Immigration), 2012 CF 1400 (CanLII), Lemieux, refugee refusal, 2012-11-29

Ye v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1381 (CanLII), Zinn, refugee refusal, 2012-11-29

Sebucocero c. Canada (Citoyenneté et Immigration), 2012 CF 1408 (CanLII), Noël, refugee refusal, 2012-11-30

Kaaker v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1401 (CanLII), Shore, refugee refusal, 2012-11-30

Kumar v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2012 FC 1402 (CanLII), Shore, Federal Skilled Worker refusal, 2012-11-30

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