Remedies
Overview
Remedies Ordered by Tribunal
CH Remedies
Enforcing Tribunal Remedies Challenging Tribunal Remedies
Internal Agency Mechanisms External Non Ct Mechanisms Ct Mechanisms Private Law Remedies
-e.g. ombudsperson
Stat Appeals JR
Remedies ordered by Tribunal
Types
Discretionary- e.g. HRT
Order fees, fines, etc.
Declaratory
CH > but must meet Conway or Martin test
Requirements
-1) although remedial powers may be very broad; must be enabled by the statute (no inherent jurisdiction) (Inuit Tapirisat)
-rationale: intended to be prospective and account for complexity and diversity
-e.g. HRT can do “anything that, in the opinion of the Tribunal, the party ought to do to achieve compliance with this Act”
-2) where enabling statute not clear, can argue must have remedial power to execute purposes of the statute (although need specific statutory authority for payments of money)
Framework: Can Admin Body apply a CH Remedy?
Can tribunal assess constitutional validity of legislation? (s 52 Remedies) (Martin)
1) Is the administrative tribunal a court of competent jurisdiction?
-yes, if:
- (i) authorized to decide ?s of law based on Martin analysis:
-presumption: tribunals have authority to determine questions of law (must be rebutted)
-rationale: want to make CH accessible w/o requiring parallel proceedings in the cts
-usually, there is an explicit grant of authority in the statute
-if not, assess if there is implicit authorization to determine Qs of law?:
Guiding ? is legislative intent: but this inquiry doesn’t depend
upon if govt intended for tribunal to apply the CH
Instead assess if empowering legislation grants the tribunal jurisdiction to assess ?s of law
Consider statute as a whole: necessary to fulfill
mandate of tribunal?
-1st level or appellate level?
-Interaction of tribunal w other parts of admin system
-comprehensive scheme replacing another area of law (like workers’ comp replaces tort)?
-Practical considerations such as efficiency (although are not determinative)
-These characteristics usually rest w adjudicative body but need not be determinative
-can be rebutted through:
-explicit or implicit statutory provision saying do not have authority
-rely on statute itself, not external factors
-onus rests on party asserting tribunal lacks jurisdiction
2) If so, then a remedy can be granted but:
- s. 52: tribunal remedy is to simply not apply the provision: suspend provision but cannot make declaration of invalidity (not binding precedent)
-only courts may apply a CH remedy and strike down legislation (binding)
-often will be quashed and sent back for rehearing (mandamus and ceritori)
S 24 Remedies (Conway)
1) Is the administrative tribunal a court of competent jurisdiction?
-yes, if:
- (i) authorized to decide ?s of law based on Martin analysis:
-presumption: tribunals have authority to determine questions of law (must be rebutted)
-rationale: want to make CH accessible w/o requiring parallel proceedings in the cts
-usually, there is an explicit grant of authority in the statute
-if not, assess if there is implicit authorization to determine Qs of law?:
-i. guiding ? is legislative intent: but this inquiry doesn’t depend upon if govt intended for tribunal to apply the CH
ii. instead assess if empowering legislation grants the tribunal
jurisdiction to assess ?s of law
-consider statute as a whole: necessary to fulfill
mandate of tribunal?
-1st level or appellate level?
-Interaction of tribunal w other parts of admin system
-comprehensive scheme replacing another area of law (like workers’ comp replaces tort)?
-Practical considerations such as efficiency (although are not determinative)
-These characteristics usually rest w adjudicative body but need not be determinative
-can be rebutted through:
-explicit or implicit statutory provision saying do not have authority
-rely on statute itself, not external factors
-onus rests on party asserting tribunal lacks jurisdiction
- (ii) has not been excluded from Charter jurisdiction by statute
-if yes to i) and ii), the tribunal is a ct of competent jurisdiction as per s 24
2) Does the tribunal have the statutory authority to grant the particular remedy at issue?
-yes, if the scope and nature of the tribunal’s statutory mandate and functions provide authority to grant a particular remedy
-look to legislative intent: mandate, structure and function
-if yes then individual relief can be granted
-in Conway, although it was held it was a court of competent jurisidiction, remedy not available to ORB bc of reqmts under enabling statute: C still a danger to public> to grant an absolute discharge would be beyond the boards authority
Criticisms:
-this approach is described as beneficial bc its institutionally focused as opposed to putting onus on litigants to test remedy by remedy> but practically this might not be the case
-as applicant must prove remedy available under tribunal, and then assess substance of violation, can result in applicant never getting to hear merits of case:
-here, bc the remedy is unavailable, C never gets to hear the merits of his case> would need to go to ct
-thus no bifurcation of proceedings; access to justice issue
-suggests that applicants are entitled to petition boards only for remedies already available under the statute
-yet, scope of tribunals to have jurisdiction over CH and remedies has broadened> may give rise to JR of admin granting remedies not already available under the statute
Tribunal Structure to Implement Remedies
-i) public/private partnerships
-ii) independent 3rd party who tries to develop and implement remedial measures:
-e.g. ON Correctional Services > McKinnon
Enforcing Tribunal Remedies against Parties
-enforcement becomes possible immediately if no one challenges order
i) Tribunal Seeks to Enforce its own Order
-few tribunals can enforce own their own remedies:
-e.g. professional licensing bodies, federal competition tribunal
-ability to self-enforce must flow from enabling statute and be constitutional
-more commonly, tribunal applies to a court:
-remedy or order assumed to be correct if not appealed or appeal unsuccessful
-ON Stat Powers Pro Act allows tribunals to apply to Div Ct for contempt – e.g. McKinnon
-if successful, order enforced as would a court judgment
-can occur until JR or appeal
-must be clear violation of enforcement
ii) Party Seeks To Enforce Tribunal Order
-e.g. teachers seeking to enforce arbitrators order
-a private party: must show court it should intervene, even though there may be stat authority to do so
iii) Criminal Prosecution
-statutes provide for quasi crim prosecution, e.g. Securities or Fisheries Act
-fed CC can be used to enforce if no punishment provision is in tribunals enabling statute
Court Imposed Remedies
Difference bw Statutory Appeals and JRs
Stat Appeals | JRs |
---|---|
-more common | -more rare |
-source: enabling statute -not inherent: without statute, no inherent right of appeal | -source: inherent supervisory power of cts over inferior admin bodies which is protected under s 96 BNA (Crevier) (prov); for fed matters: FCA |
-guaranteed: indicative of legislative intent to allow right of appeal | -discretionary in terms of occurrence: leave needs to be granted |
-narrower in scope: can only address final dispositions or substantive holdings (no interlocutory proceedings, e.g. jurisdiction, bias or evidentiary issues) | -broader in scope: can address interlocutory proceedings, e.g. jurisdiction, bias or evidentiary issues |
-constrained by parameters of statute: outcome easier to predict | -unpredictable in terms of outcome |
-outcome is broader: can be change in substance of decision, thus more preferable for litigant -could issue a CH remedy | -as merely supervisory role, outcome does not result in change of substance of decision: arguably less beneficial -remedies issued: -prerogative writs -private law remedies (declarations and injunctions) -CH |
Framework: Is there a Statutory Right of Appeal?
a) Does the Tribunal’s Enabling Statute Provide for a Right of Appeal?
-cts have no inherent appellate jurisdiction over admin tribunals
-right to appeal must be found in enabling statute or by JR
-no right to appeal on interlocutory proceedings (e.g. jurisdiction, bias, evidentiary issues) > to be appealable, it must be a final disposition/ substantive holding
-enabling statute sets out which ct to appeal to:
-fed issues: FC or FCA
-prov: div ct
b) What Is the Scope of the Available Appeal?
-determined by enabling statute: e.g. de novo, or from previous records proceedings
-often determined by how closely tribunals subject matter mirrors the mandate and expertise of courts
-statutes more likely to have right of appeal where CL or HR rights affected
- e.g. HRT, prof discipline boards; while expert tribunals., e.g. LR often cannot be reviewed
-even where appeal rights are broad, cts will show some deference to a tribunals findings of fact
-Dunsmuir framework applies to stat appeal
-but, unlike JR, cts not expected to defer simply bc they are the decision makers of first instance
c) Is an Appeal Available as of Right, or is Leave Required? If Leave is Required, Who Can Grant It?
-appeal as of right = no application
-leave> either from original decision maker or ct, sometimes there may be additional stat criteria
-FCA does not require leave for JR unless under IRPA scheme
d) Is Stay of Proceedings Automatic or Does One Need to Apply?
-varies from jurisdiction and tribunal
-enabling statutes may empower tribunals or cts to...