Further observations from the State party on admissibility
6.1
In a further submission dated 9 October 1998 the State party contends that upon receiving a decision
like that of the adjudicator in the instant case, a refugee claimant represented by counsel would not have
assumed that he could proceed with his refugee claim. The adjudicator determined that the author was a person
who had been convicted outside of Canada of an offence that if committed in Canada would constitute an
offence punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years or more and was also a person who there
were reasonable grounds to believe had engaged in terrorism. A reasonable person represented by counsel
receiving such a determination would have anticipated that action would be taken to have the individual
excluded from the refugee determination process. Indeed, such a determination would suggest that the claimant
might be excluded from the definition of a Convention refugee in section F of article 1 of the Convention
relating to the Status of Refugees, which was incorporated by reference into the Canadian Immigration Act.
6.2
Moreover, the author had been advised, subsequent to the first inquiry held, that CIC intended to seek
the Minister's opinion that the author constituted a danger to the public, the consequence upon issuance of such
opinion being that he would be excluded from the refugee determination process. The author sought judicial
review of this earlier determination and was therefore aware of the potential consequences of an adjudicator's
finding that he was inadmissible.
Counsel's comments
7.
Counsel argues that the adjudicator's finding was very specific (i.e. that the author had been convicted
of an offence and that there were reasonable grounds to believe he had engaged in acts of terrorism). The scope
for judicial review of such a finding is limited to whether the adjudicator made an error in law or whether his
findings of fact were perverse, capricious or patently unreasonable. Whether or not the author agreed with the
decision, it was not possible to attack it on any of these grounds based on the evidence presented. Counsel's
duty is to determine whether it is in the client's best interest to pursue an appeal when there is little merit in
doing so. Counsel would hesitate to launch a frivolous application before the courts simply to delay further
proceedings.
State party's comments on the failure to observe the Committee's request under rule 108 (9) of its rules
of procedure
8.1
On 24 June 1998 the Committee invited the State party to submit written comments on the failure to
observe the request not to expel the author to India while his communication is under consideration by the
Committee.
8.2
In its response to the Committee the State party indicates that an interim measures request is a
recommendation to a State to take certain measures, not an order. Support for this proposition may be found
not only in the word employed ("request") in rule 108, paragraph 9, but also in the European Court of Human
Rights decision in Cruz Varas and Others v. Sweden. The Court stated the following with respect to the legal
status of an interim measures request: "Firstly, it must be observed that Rule 36 [regarding interim measures]
has only the status of a rule of procedure drawn up by the Commission ... In the absence of a provision in the
Convention for interim measures an indication given under Rule 36 cannot be considered to give rise to a
binding obligation on Contracting Parties."
8.3
Pursuant to rule 108, paragraph 9, an interim measures request may be issued in order to avoid
"irreparable damage" to an author. The State party submits that the examination of possible irreparable harm
should be a rigorous one, particularly when the individual concerned was found to represent a danger to the
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