CCPR/C/125/D/2034/2011
disabilities. This motion seeking leave was dismissed without consideration on the merits.
The authors then sought relief from a panel of the Divisional Court to set aside or vary the
decision of the single motions judge of the Divisional Court. The panel decided that the
motions judge’s decision had not constituted a decline of jurisdiction. The panel did not
give any reasons for rejecting the authors’ submissions in relation to the first motion.
Moreover, the authors had submitted to the motions judge that there had arisen a reasonable
apprehension of bias from the Board, considering the fact that visible minorities faced
discrimination in Canada, as was recognized by the case law of the Court of Appeal for
Ontario.
2.7
On 1 February 2011, the city council sent a letter to the authors, demanding that the
addition be removed, since “the appeal rights respecting the addition’s non-compliance
with the zoning by-law have now been exhausted”. In the same letter, the municipal
authorities stated that if the removal had not been started before 25 February 2011, the city
council would refer the matter to legal counsel to commence proceedings to seek a court
order authorizing the city council to carry out the removal at the authors’ expense. The city
council intended to enforce a demolition of the addition (representing a substantial part of
the authors’ house) in the middle of winter in Canada. On 7 March 2011, the city council
began proceedings to enforce partial demolition, by court order, at the authors’ expense.
The authors note that this is not a new procedure that could allow for further revision of the
substantive decision and does not grant the authors further rights of appeal. Rather, it is just
an application made by the municipal authorities to enforce a decision already made. It is
simply about the methods and costs of enforcement.
The complaint
3.1
In their initial complaint, the authors submit that the State party has violated their
rights under articles 7, 14, 17 and 26 of the Covenant.
3.2
The authors claim that the fact that they are non-Caucasians in a generally Caucasian
neighbourhood explains why their minor variance applications were rejected, as evidenced
by the testimony of S.D.P.T. in which he claimed that his neighbours had launched a “not
in my back yard” type of campaign. The neighbours responsible for this campaign had
opposed the authors’ application in writing from the beginning, since they wrote to the
Committee of Adjustment to oppose the granting of the minor variances and to seek
demolition of the addition. This differential treatment afforded to the authors was not based
on reasonable and objective criteria, resulting in discrimination.
3.3
The authors also allege a violation of their right to a fair trial, especially in regard to
the reasonable apprehension of bias from the Ontario Municipal Board and the fact that its
decision was based on the allegations of one party only, without further corroboration of the
facts with the evidence available in the file.
3.4
Moreover, the authors claim that the State has violated their right to privacy, and the
prohibition on arbitrary or unlawful interference with one’s home, because they consider
the inspection visits to their home to be intrusive and arbitrary.
3.5
Finally, the authors claim to have been subjected to inhuman treatment, since these
visits and the proceedings in general have affected them physically and mentally. The
treatment is also considered to be inhuman with regard to the fact that the demolition is
supposed to take place during winter in Canada, when temperatures are extremely low.
Additional comments from the authors
4.1
In submissions dated 31 March 2011 and 17 May 2011, the authors insist that the
State party has violated article 14 of the Covenant, by denying them access to all
documents in the file held by the municipal authorities concerning their claims, in order to
prepare and present their case on appeal, which, in contrast, were fully available to the
other party. Moreover, they submit that they were arbitrarily denied the right to crossexamine the city council’s zoning examiner whose expertise had been central to the
assessment of their case, and who had been summoned to the hearing before the Ontario
Municipal Board. The authors also submit that they were denied the right to file crucial
evidence, such as an independent expert’s report, which was central to the determination of
3