Dhillon v. Faculties Council Academic Appeals Committee of the University of Alberta et al., 2000 ABQB 77

• Judge: Veit, J.
• Court: Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta (Canada)
• Case Date: February 07, 2000
• Citations: 2000 ABQB 77;(2000), 259 A.R. 63 (QB)

Dhillon v. Alta. Univ. (2000), 259 A.R. 63 (QB)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2000] A.R. TBEd. FE.158

Gagan Dhillon (applicant) v. The General Faculties Council Academic Appeals Committee of the University of Alberta and The University of Alberta (respondents)

(Action No. 9903-12099; 2000 ABQB 77)

Indexed As: Dhillon v. Faculties Council Academic Appeals Committee of the University of Alberta et al.

Alberta Court of Queen's Bench

Judicial District of Edmonton

Veit, J.

February 7, 2000.

Summary:

Dhillon applied for judicial review of the decision of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Alberta requiring him to with­draw for failing his first year.

The Alberta Court of Queen's Bench dis­missed the application.

Administrative Law - Topic 2488

Natural justice - Procedure - At hearing - Administrative bodies - Dhillon applied for judicial review of the decision of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Alberta requiring him to withdraw for failing his first year - He alleged that various errors committed by the commit­tees in the various appeals processes con­stituted a denial of natural justice - The Alberta Court of Queen's Bench declined to set aside the decision - The Faculty's decision was reasonable and Dhillon's complaints related to technical irregular­ities in the appeal process that did not prejudice him - See paragraphs 34 to 70.

Administrative Law - Topic 2498

Natural justice - Procedure - At hearing - Participation by tribunal's counsel - Dhillon applied for judicial review of the decision of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Alberta requiring him to withdraw for failing his first year - He alleged a denial of natural justice in the various appeals processes - He claimed, inter alia, that the tribunal's counsel played an inappropriate role in the final hearing - The Alberta Court of Queen's Bench rejected the allegation - The tribunal's counsel gave advice on an evidentiary, procedural matter that was not within the expertise of the tribunal - The final deci­sion was the decision of the tribunal and not that of its counsel - See paragraphs 60 to 69.

Education - Topic 4508

Universities - Students - Academic evalu­ation - Judicial review - Dhillon applied for judicial review of the decision of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Alberta requiring him to withdraw for failing his first year - He alleged a denial of natural justice in the various appeals processes - There was no statutory right of appeal and the regulations of the General Faculties Council Academic Appeals Committee stated that its decisions were "final and binding" - The Alberta Court of Queen's Bench held that the standard of review of the decision was reasonableness - See paragraphs 30 to 33.

Education - Topic 4508

Universities - Students - Academic evalu­ation - Judicial review - [See Adminis­trative Law - Topic 2488 ].

Cases Noticed:

Khan v. University of Ottawa (1997), 101 O.A.C. 241; 148 D.L.R.(4th) 577 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 4].

Echo Bay Mines Ltd. v. Labour Standards Board (N.W.T.), [1992] N.W.T.R. 289 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 4].

Ward v. University of Prince Edward Island (1997), 157 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 129; 486 A.P.R. 129 (P.E.I.T.D.), refd to. [para. 4].

Ermina et al. v. Canada (Minister of Citi­zenship and Immigration) (1998), 160 F.T.R. 317; 167 D.L.R.(4th) 764 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 4].

Hannley v. Edmonton (City) and Kolbuc (1978), 12 A.R. 473; 7 Alta. L.R.(2d) 394 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 4].

Couillard v. Edmonton (City) and Crown Life Insurance Co. (1979), 18 A.R. 31; 10 Alta. L.R.(2d) 295 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 4].

Dallinga v. Calgary (City), [1976] 1 W.W.R. 319 (Alta. C.A.), refd to. [para. 4].

Carlin v. Registered Psychiatric Nurses' Association of Alberta (1996), 186 A.R. 186; 40 Alta. L.R.(3d) 206 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 4].

Melanson v. Workers' Compensation Board (N.B.) (1994), 146 N.B.R.(2d) 294; 374 A.P.R. 294 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 4].

Slavutych v. University of Alberta, [1976] 1 S.C.R. 254; 3 N.R. 587; 55 D.L.R.(3d) 224, refd to. [para. 4].

Slavutych v. Baker - see Slavutych v. University of Alberta.

Paccar of Canada Ltd. v. Canadian Asso­ciation of Industrial, Mechanical and Allied Workers, Local 14, [1989] 2 S.C.R. 983; 102 N.R. 1; [1989] 6 W.W.R. 673; 62 D.L.R.(4th) 437; 89 C.L.L.C. 14,050; 40 Admin. L.R. 181, refd to. [para. 5].

Naimji v. University of Alberta et al. (1988), 87 A.R. 357 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 5].

King v. University of Saskatchewan (1969), 6 D.L.R.(3d) 120 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 5].

Pezim v. British Columbia Securities Commission et al., [1994] 2 S.C.R. 557; 168 N.R. 321; 46 B.C.A.C. 1; 75 W.A.C. 1; [1994] 7 W.W.R. 1; 92 B.C.L.R.(2d) 145; 14 B.C.R.(2d) 217; 22 Admin. L.R.(2d) 1; 114 D.L.R.(4th) 385, refd to. [para. 5].

Superintendent of Brokers v. Pezim - see Pezim v. British Columbia Securities Commission et al.

Dawson v. University of Ottawa (1994), 72 O.A.C. 232 (Div. Ct.), refd to. [para. 5].

Dawson v. University of Ottawa, [1995] O.J. No. 2733 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 5].

Polten v. University of Toronto (1975), 59 D.L.R.(3d) 197 (Ont. Div. Ct.), refd to. [para. 5].

Blasser v. Royal Institute for the Ad­vancement of Learning (1985), 16 Admin. L.R. 298 (Que. C.A.), refd to. [para. 5].

Kane v. Board of Governors of the Uni­versity of British Columbia, [1980] 1 S.C.R. 1105; 31 N.R. 214; [1980] 3 W.W.R. 125; 18 B.C.L.R. 124; 110 D.L.R.(3d) 311, refd to. [para. 5].

Morgan v. Acadia University and Fraser (1985), 69 N.S.R.(2d) 109; 163 A.P.R. 109; 15 Admin. L.R. 61 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 5].

Wong v. University of Toronto (1989), 45 Admin. L.R. 113 (Ont. Dist. Ct.), refd to. [para. 5].

Wong v. University of Toronto (1992), 4 Admin. L.R.(2d) 95 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 5].

Rankel et al. v. Alberta Association of Psychologists et al. (1993), 141 A.R. 250; 46 W.A.C. 250; 10 Admin. L.R.(2d) 283 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 5].

Del Core v. College of Pharmacists (Ont.) (1985), 10 O.A.C. 57; 19 D.L.R.(4th) 68 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 5].

Trotter v. College of Nurses (Ont.) (1991), 44 O.A.C. 302 (Div. Ct.), refd to. [para. 5].

Hammami v. College of Physicians and Surgeons (B.C.), [1997] B.C.T.C. Uned. A95; [1997] 9 W.W.R. 301 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 5].

College of Physicians and Surgeons (Ont.) v. Mohan (1993), 67 O.A.C. 231; 16 O.R.(3d) 62 (Div. Ct.), refd to. [para. 5].

Sawatzky v. Universities Academic Pen­sion Plan Board (1992), 9 Admin. L.R.(2d) 109 (Alta. Q.B.), refd to. [para. 5].

Compagnie minière Québec Cartier v. Métallurgistes unis d'Amerique, local 6869 (1995), 183 N.R. 313; 125 D.L.R.(4th) 577 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 5].

Cie Minière Québec Cartier v. Quebec (Grievances Arbitrator) - Compagnie minière Québec Cartier v. Métallurgistes unis d'Amerique, local 6869.

United Nurses of Alberta, Local 2 et al. v. Red Deer Regional Hospital et al. (1998), 220 A.R. 181; 59 Alta. L.R.(3d) 112 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 5].

Ahluwalia v. College of Physicians and Surgeons (Man.) (1998), 128 Man.R.(2d) 161 (Q.B.), affd. (1999), 138 Man.R.(2d) 3; 202 W.A.C. 3 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 5].

Khan v. College of Physicians and Sur­geons (Ont.) (1992), 57 O.A.C. 115; 94 D.L.R.(4th) 193 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 5].

Anderson v. University of Alberta, [1996] A.J. No. 37 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 6].

Pushpanathan v. Canada (Minister of Citi­zenship and Immigration) (1998), 226 N.R. 201; 160 D.L.R.(4th) 193 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 6].

Bridgeland Riverside Community Associ­ation v. Calgary (City) and Patricia In­vestments Ltd. (1982), 37 A.R. 26; 19 Alta. L.R.(2d) 361 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 6].

White et al. v. Canada Safeway Ltd. (1994), 157 A.R. 195; 77 W.A.C. 195 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 6].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Alberta, Institute of Law Research and Reform, Powers and Procedures for Administrative Tribunals in Alberta, Final Report No. 79 (December 1999), generally [para. 7]; para. 34.3 [para. 67].

Brown, Donald J.M., and Evans, J.M., Judicial Review of Administrative Actions in Canada, generally [para. 4].

Casey, James T., The Regulation of Pro­fessions in Canada (1999), generally [paras. 4, 61]; pp. 6-6 to 6-8 [para. 5].

de Smith, Stanley A., Woolf, Lord, and Jowell, Jeffrey, Judicial Review of Ad­ministrative Action (5th Ed. 1995), gen­erally [para. 4].

Jones, David Phillip, and de Villars, Anne S., Principles of Administrative Law (2nd Ed. 1994), generally [para. 63]; pp. 307 [para. 5]; 314 ff. [para. 4].

Jones, David Phillip, and de Villars, Anne S., Principles of Administrative Law (3rd Ed. 1999), pp. 321 to 327 [para. 5].

Reid, Administrative Law (1992 Update), pp. viii.10 to viii.11 [para. 5].

Counsel:

Kimberley D. Wakefield, for the applicant;

James T. Casey, for the General Faculties Council Academic Appeals Committee;

Richard B. Drewry, for the University of Alberta.

This appeal was heard on November 2 and 3, 1999, before Veit, J., of the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench, Judicial District of Ed­monton, who delivered the following judg­ment on February 7, 2000.