CAT/C/57/D/529/2012
6.8
On 3 October 2014, the State party submitted that on 10 September 2014, the
complainant received written notice that her removal to Pakistan was scheduled for 16
September 2014. Upon receipt of the removal order, the complainant could have requested
that her removal be deferred, but she did not take any steps to pursue this available
domestic remedy. Claimants who allege new evidence of personal risk may request the
enforcement officer to defer their removal. Although enforcement officers have limited
discretion as to the timing of a removal, the Federal Court of Appeal has repeatedly held
that an enforcement officer must defer removal if there is compelling evidence that the
removal would expose the person to “a risk of death, extreme sanction or inhumane
treatment”.20
6.9
On 15 September 2014, the complainant applied to the Federal Court for leave to
apply for a judicial review of the decision to enforce her removal order. The complainant
also sought a judicial stay of her removal pending consideration of this application. That
afternoon, the Court heard arguments pertaining to the stay of removal application. The
complainant was represented by legal counsel at the hearing. The Court rejected the
complainant’s stay of removal application on the grounds that she had not met the legal test
for a stay of removal because she had not demonstrated that she would suffer irreparable
harm if removed to Pakistan. The State party therefore enforced the removal order against
the complainant on 16 September 2014.
Complainant’s further comments
7.1
On 1 October 2014, the complainant’s counsel submitted that she had been deported
on 16 September 2014 and that the Canadian media had reported that she had arrived in
Pakistan and was in hiding. He provided a summary of the proceedings that took place on
15 September 2014 before the Federal Court and reiterated that, according to the
Committee’s jurisprudence, judicial review of a negative finding in a pre-removal risk
assessment and application for residence on humanitarian and compassionate grounds did
not constitute effective remedies.
Issues and proceedings before the Committee
Consideration of admissibility
8.1
Before considering any complaint submitted in a communication, the Committee
must decide whether it is admissible under article 22 of the Convention. The Committee has
ascertained, as it is required to do under article 22 (5) (a) of the Convention, that the same
matter has not been and is not being examined under another procedure of international
investigation or settlement.
8.2
In accordance with article 22 (5) (b) of the Convention, the Committee shall not
consider any communication, unless it has ascertained that the complainant has exhausted
all available domestic remedies. This rule does not apply where it is established that the
application of those remedies has been or would be unreasonably prolonged or would be
unlikely, after a fair trial, to bring effective relief.
20
See Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness) v. Shpati, 2011 FCA 286, paras. 41-45
and 52, available at www.canlii.org/en/ca/fca/doc/2011/2011fca286/2011fca286.html; and Baron v.
Canada (Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness), 2009 FCA 81, para. 51, available
at www.canlii.org/en/ca/fca/doc/2009/2009fca81/2009fca81.html. Aside from these circumstances,
“other personal exigencies have been held to warrant a deferral because removal at that time would
not be reasonably practicable” in Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness) v. Shpati,
para. 44.
15