Pushpanathan v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration)

• Jurisdiction: Federal Jurisdiction (Canada)
• Court: Supreme Court (Canada)
• Judge: Cory, McLachlin, Major and Bastarache, JJ.
• Citation: (1998), 226 N.R. 201 (SCC),[1998] 1 SCR 982,[1998] CarswellNat 830,1998 CanLII 778 (SCC),160 DLR (4th) 193,226 NR 201,11 Admin LR (3d) 1,JE 98-1298,[1998] FCJ No 46 (QL),[1998] SCJ No 46 (QL),[1998] ACS no 46,38 WCB (2d) 423,43 Imm LR (2d) 117,79 ACWS (3d) 998
• Date: 09 October 1997

Pushpanathan v. Can. (M.C.I.) (1998), 226 N.R. 201 (SCC)

MLB headnote and full text

[French language version follows English language version]

[La version française vient à la suite de la version anglaise]

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Temp. Cite: [1998] N.R. TBEd. JN.005

Veluppillai Pushpanathan (Pushpanathan Veluppillai) (appellant) v. The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (respondent) and The Canadian Council for Refugees (intervener)

(25173)

Indexed As: Pushpanathan v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration)

Supreme Court of Canada

L'Heureux-Dubé, Sopinka*, Gonthier,

Cory, McLachlin, Major and Bastarache, JJ.

June 4, 1998.

Summary:

In 1985, Pushpanathan, a citizen of Sri Lanka, came to Canada and claimed Con­vention refugee status. He was subsequently con­victed of conspiracy to traffic in heroin contrary to the Narcotic Control Act and sentenced to eight years' imprisonment. In 1993 the Immigra­tion and Refugee Board (Refugee Division) determined that he was excluded from claiming Convention refugee status because of art. 1F(c) of the United Nations Conven­tion Relating to the Status of Refugees. Article 1F(c) provided that the Convention did not apply to those guilty of acts con­trary to the purposes and prin­ciples of the United Nations. Pushpanathan applied for judi­cial review.

The Federal Court of Canada, Trial Divi­sion, dismissed the application. The court, however, certified the following question for consideration by the Court of Appeal:

"Is it an error of law for the Refugee Division to interpret section F(c) of Article I of the United Nations Convention Relat­ing to the Status of Refugees to exclude from refugee status an individual guilty of a serious Narcotic Control Act offence committed in Canada?"

The Federal Court of Appeal, in a decision reported 191 N.R. 247, answered the ques­tion in the negative and therefore dis­missed the appeal. Pushpanathan appealed.

The Supreme Court of Canada allowed the appeal holding that conspiracy to traffic in a narcotic by Pushpanathan was not a violation of article 1F(c). The court returned the matter to the Con­ven­tion Refugee Deter­mi­nation Division for consideration under art. 33 of the Con­ven­tion and ss. 19 and 53 of the Immigration Act.

*Sopinka, J., took no part in the judgment.

Administrative Law - Topic 3202

Judicial review - Scope of review - The Supreme Court of Canada discussed the factors to be taken into account in deter­mining the standard of review - See para­graphs 29 to 50.

Aliens - Topic 2

Legislation - Interpretation - The United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, art. 1F(c), provided that the Convention did not apply to those guilty of acts contrary to the purposes and prin­ciples of the United Nations - The Immi­gration Act (Can.) adopted this article as part of the definition of "Convention Re­fugee" - The Supreme Court of Canada discussed the principles of treaty interpre­tation ap­plicable to interpreting art. 1F(c) and the relevance of "travaux prépara­­toiries" - See paragraphs 51 to 64.

Aliens - Topic 1330.4

Admission - Refugees - Disqualifications - Acts contrary to the purposes and prin­ciples of the United Nations - The United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refu­gees, article 1F(c), provided that the Con­ven­tion was not applicable to persons guilty of acts contrary to the pur­poses and principles of the United Nations - The Supreme Court of Canada discussed the purpose of article 1F(c) - See para­graphs 51 to 64 - The court stated the purpose of article 1F(c) could be charac­terized as: "to exclude those individuals responsible for serious, sustained or sys­temic violations of fundamental human rights which amount to persecution in a non-war setting" - See paragraph 64.

Aliens - Topic 1330.4

Admission - Refugees - Disqualifications - Acts contrary to the purposes and prin­ciples of the United Nations - The United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refu­gees, article 1F(c), provided that the Con­ven­tion was not applicable to persons guilty of acts contrary to the pur­poses and principles of the United Nations - The Supreme Court of Canada discussed what acts fell within article 1F(c) - See para­graphs 65 to 76.

Aliens - Topic 1330.4

Admission - Refugees - Disqualifications - Acts contrary to the purposes and prin­ciples of the United Nations - The United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refu­gees, art. 1F(c), provided that the Conven­tion was not applicable to persons guilty of acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations - A refu­gee claim­ant, who was convicted of a Canadian narcotics offence (i.e., conspiracy to traffic in narcotics), argued he should not be excluded under art. 1F(c) - The Supreme Court of Canada agreed with the refugee claimant, holding that his conspir­acy to traffic in a narcotic was not a vio­lation of article 1F(c) - See paragraphs 1 to 76.

Aliens - Topic 1330.4

Admission - Refugees - Disqualifications - Acts contrary to the purposes and prin­ciples of the United Nations - The United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, art. 1F(c), as adopted by the Immigration Act, provided that the Con­vention did not apply to those guilty of acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations - The following question respecting art. 1F(c) was certified for consideration by the Federal Court of Appeal: "Is it an error of law for the Re­fugee Division to interpret section F(c) of Article I of the United Nations Convention Relat­ing to the Status of Refugees to exclude from refugee status an individual guilty of a serious Narcotic Control Act offence committed in Canada?" - The Federal Court of Appeal answered the question in the negative - The Supreme Court of Canada set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal - See paragraphs 1 to 76.

Aliens - Topic 1334

Admission - Refugees - Appeals or judi­cial review - Scope of review - The Supreme Court of Canada discussed the standard of review applicable to decisions of the Con­vention Refugee Determination Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board - The court held that a correctness standard applied to determinations of law by the Board - See paragraphs 23 to 50, 82.

Aliens - Topic 4069

Practice - Judicial review - Appeals - Certification of serious question of general importance by Trial Division - Section 83(1) of the Immigration Act provided that "a judgment of the Federal Court - Trial Division on an application for judicial review . . . may be appealed to the Federal Court of Appeal only if the Federal Court - Trial Division has at the time of render­ing judgment certified that a serious ques­tion of general importance is involved and has stated that question" - The Supreme Court of Canada stated that "the certifi­cation of a 'question of general importance' is the trigger by which an appeal is jus­tified. The object of the appeal is still the judgment itself, not merely the certified question." - See paragraph 25.

Words and Phrases

Contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations - The Supreme Court of Canada discussed the purpose and inter­preta­tion of this phrase as it was used in art. 1F(c) of the United Nations Con­ven­tion Relating to the Status of Refugees as adopted by s. 2 of the Immigration Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. I-2 - See paragraphs 51 to 76.

Cases Noticed:

Pasiechnyk et al. v. Procrane et al., [1997] 2 S.C.R. 890; 216 N.R. 1; 158 Sask.R. 81; 153 W.A.C. 81, refd to. [para. 26].

Pasiechnyk v. Worker's Compensation Board (Sask.) - see Pasiechnyk et al. v. Procrane et al.

Syndicat national des employés de la com­mission scolaire régionale de l'Outaouais (CSN) v. Union des employés de service, Local 298 (FTQ), [1988] 2 S.C.R. 1048; 95 N.R. 161; 24 Q.A.C. 244; 35 Admin. L.R. 153, refd to. [para. 27].

Union des employés de service, Local 298 v. Bibeault - see Syndicat national des employés de la commission scolaire régionale de l'Outaouais (CSN) v. Union des employés de service, Local 298 (FTQ).

Bibeault - see Syndicat national des em­ployés de la commission scolaire ré­gionale de l'Outaouais (CSN) v. Union des employés de service, Local 298.

U.E.S., Local 298 v. Bibeault - see Union des employés de ser­vice.

Director of Investigation and Research, Competition Act v. Southam Inc. et al., [1997] 1 S.C.R. 748; 209 N.R. 20, refd to. [para. 27].

United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, Local 579 v. Bradco Construction Ltd., [1993] 2 S.C.R. 316; 153 N.R. 81; 106 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 140; 334 A.P.R. 140, refd to. [para. 30].

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, refd to. [para. 34].

National Corn Growers' Association et al. v. Canadian Import Tribunal, [1990] 2 S.C.R. 1324; 114 N.R. 81, refd to. [para. 34].

Canada (Attorney General) v. Mossop, [1993] 1 S.C.R. 554; 149 N.R. 1, refd to. [para. 37].

Yuen v. Canada (Minister of Employment and Immigration), [1994] F.C.J. No. 1045 (F.C.A.), refd to. [para. 40].

Franco v. Canada (Minister of Employ­ment and Immigration), [1994] F.C.J. No. 1011 (F.C.A.), refd to. [para. 40].

Sornalingam v. Canada (Minister of Citi­zenship and Immigration) (1996), 107 F.T.R. 128 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 40].

Vetter v. Minister of Employment and Immigration (1994), 89 F.T.R. 17 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 40].

Ismaeli v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), [1995] F.C.J. No. 573 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 40].

Connor et al. v. Canada (Minister of Citi­zenship and Immigration) (1995), 95 F.T.R. 66 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 40].

Sivasamboo v. Canada (Minister of Citi­zenship and Immigration), [1994] F.C. 741; 87 F.T.R. 46 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 41].

Attis v. Board of Education of District No. 15 et al., [1996] 1 S.C.R. 825; 195 N.R. 81; 171 N.B.R.(2d) 321; 437 A.P.R. 321, refd to. [para. 45].

Ross v. New Brunswick School District No. 15 - see Attis v. Board of Educa­tion of District No. 15 et al.

University of British Columbia v. Berg, [1993] 2 S.C.R. 353; 152 N.R. 99; 26 B.C.A.C. 241; 44 W.A.C. 241, refd to. [para. 45].

Canada (Attorney General) v. Ward, [1993] 2 S.C.R. 689; 153 N.R. 321, refd to. [paras. 46, 134].

Thomson v. Thomson, [1994] 3 S.C.R. 551; 173 N.R. 83; 97 Man.R.(2d) 81; 79 W.A.C. 81, refd to. [para. 53].

Moreno and Sanchez v. Minister of Em­ployment and Immigration, [1994] 1 F.C. 298; 159 N.R. 210 (F.C.A.), refd to. [para. 54].

Sivakumar v. Minister of Employment and Immigration, [1994] 1 F.C. 433; 163 N.R. 197 (F.C.A.), refd to. [para. 63].

United States Diplomatic and Consular Staff in Tehran, Re, [1990] I.C.J. Reports 3, refd to. [para. 67].

Legal Consequences for States of the Con­tinued Presence of South Africa in Na­mibia (South West Africa) notwith­stand­ing Security Council Resolution 276 (1970), Re, [1971] I.C.J. Reports 4, refd to. [para. 67].

Statutes Noticed:

Charter of the International Military Tri­bunal, 82 U.N.T.S. 280, generally [para. 59].

Immigration Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. I-2, sect. 2(1) [para. 5]; sect. 19(1)(c) [para. 10]; sect. 53(1) [para. 9]; sect. 67(1) [para. 39]; sect. 82.1(1) [para. 39]; sect. 83(1) [paras. 24, 39].

United Nations, Charter, Can. T.S. 1945 No. 7, preamble [para. 62]; art. 1 [paras. 62, 126]; art. 1(3) [para. 124]; art. 2 [paras. 62, 126].

United Nations, Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, U.N. Doc. E/Conf.82/15, December 19, 1988, gen­erally [para. 112 et seq.]; art. 3 [para. 151]; art. 3(5) [para. 152].

United Nations, Convention Against Tor­ture and Other Cruel, Inhu­man or De­grading Treat­ment or Pun­ishment, Can. T.S. 1987 No. 36, art. 3(1) [para. 155].

United Nations, Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1019 U.N.T.S. 175, February 21, 1971, generally [para. 109].

United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, Can. T.S. 1969 No. 6, art. 1F(c) [para. 6]; art. 33 [para. 8].

United Nations, Declaration on Principles of International Law Concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation Among States in Accordance with the Charter of the United Nations (G.A. Res. 2625 (XXV), 24 October 1970, Annex [para. 126].

United Nations Declaration on the Protec­tion of All Persons from Enforced Dis­appearance, G.A. Res. 47/133, December 18, 1992, art. 1(1) [paras. 66, 121]; art. 8 [para. 155].

United Nations Declaration on the Protec­tion of All Persons from Being subjected to Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, G.A. Res. 3452 (XXX), December 9, 1975, art. 2 [paras. 66, 120].

United Nations Declaration to Supplement the 1994 Declaration on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism, G.A. Res. 51/210, January 16, 1997, Annex [paras. 66, 121]; art. 2 [paras. 66, 121, 149].

United Nations, Draft Articles of the Draft Code of Crimes Against the Peace and Security of Mankind, UN Doc. A/46/405, September 11, 1991, 30 I.L.M. 1584, generally [para. 140], art. 25(1) [para. 153].

United Nations, Draft Convention against Traffic in Nar­cotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and Related Activities, G.A. Res. 39/141, December 14, 1984, Annex [para. 146]; art. 2 [para. 146].

United Nations, Draft Statute of the Inter­national Criminal Court, U.N. Doc. A/CN.4/L.491/Rev.2, generally [para. 70].

United Nations, Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, 520 U.N.T.S. 204, generally [para. 109].

Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, Can. T.S. 1980 No. 37, art. 31 [para. 52]; art. 32 [para. 52].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Bassiouni, M.C., Critical Reflections on International and National Control of Drugs (1990), 18 Denv. J. Int'l L. & Pol'y 311, pp. 323, 324 [para. 106]; 327 [para. 99].

Bassiouni, M.C., International Criminal Law (1986), vol. 1, pp. 135, 136 [paras. 72, 123]; 137-163 [para. 72].

Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, An Examination of Recidivism in Relation to Offence Histories and Offender Pro­files (1993), p. 21 [para. 87].

Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, The Costs of Substance Abuse in Canada: Highlights (1996), pp. 2, 6 [para. 90].

Canadian Crime Statistics 1993, p. 52 [para. 84].

Canadian Crime Statistics 1994, p. 16 [para. 84].

Collected Travaux Préparatoires of the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, vol. III, p. 89 [para. 73].

Crane, P., An Introduction To Administra­tive Law (3rd Ed. 1996), p. 35 [para. 36].

Goodwin-Gill, G.S., The Refugee in In­ternational Law (2nd Ed. 1996), pp. 107 [para. 73]; 108 [para. 61]; 110, 113 [para. 68].

Grahl-Madsen, A., The Status of Refugees in International Law (1966), vol. 1, p. 286 [para. 68].

Hathaway, J.C., The Law of Refugee Status (1991), pp. 215 [para. 51]; 229 [para. 68].

Joyner, C.C., The United Nations and International Law (1997), pp. 362, 363, 369, 370 [para. 140].

Juristat, vol. 14, No. 6, 1994, pp. 5 [para. 85]; 9 [para. 86]; 11 [para. 87]; 12 [paras. 85, 87].

Juristat, vol. 17, No. 8, 1997, p. 10 [paras. 84, 86].

Kindred, H.M., International Law Chiefly as Interpreted and Applied in Canada (1993), p. 448 [para. 60].

McKenzie D., and Single, E., Canadian Profile 1997: Licit and Illicit Drugs (1997), generally [para. 83].

Motiuk, L.L., and Belcourt, R.L., Research Branch, Correctional Service of Canada, Homicide, Sex, Robbery and Drug Offenders in Federal Corrections: An End-of-1996 Review (1997), p. 13 [para. 84].

Murphy, J.F., International Crimes, in C.C. Joyner, ed., The United Nations and International Law (1997), pp. 362, 363, 369, 370 [para. 140].

Sproule, D.W., and St-Denis, P., The UN Drug Trafficking Convention: An Am­bitious Step, [1989] Canadian Yearbook of International Law 263, p. 263 [para. 112].

Stewart, D.P., Internationalizing The War on Drugs: The UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1990), 18 Denv. J. Int'l L. & Pol'y 387, pp. 388 [para. 113]; 390 [para. 110].

United Nations, Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Economic and Social Con­sequences of Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking: An Interim Report, UN Doc. E/CN.7/1995/3, November 9, 1994, pp. 8 [para. 94]; 14 [para. 92]; 19, 20 [para. 95]; 24 [para. 96]; 25 [paras. 96, 97]; 26 [paras. 97, 98]; 28 [para. 98]; 29 [paras. 99, 100]; 30 [para. 100]; 32 [para. 100]; 33 [para. 101, 102]; 34 [para. 102]; 35 [para. 103]; 36 [para. 104].

United Nations, Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Reduction of Illicit Demand for Drugs: Prevention Strategies Including Community Participation -- World situ­ation with respect to drug abuse: Report of the Secretariat, UN Doc. E/CN.7/1995/5, January 10, 1995, pp. 3 [paras. 92, 93]; 4 [para. 92].

United Nations, Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Outline of Future Activities in Drug Abuse Control, 26 I.L.M. 1638, generally [para. 111].

United Nations, Department of Public Information, Drug Trafficking and the World Economy (1990), generally [para. 99].

United Nations, Final Act of the United Nations Conference for the Adoption of a Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Sub­stances, UN Doc. E/Conf.82/14, para. 7 [para. 112].

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Handbook on Procedures and Criteria for Determining Refugee Status, generally [paras. 53, 54, 62]; para. 162 [paras. 61, 68]; para. 163 [paras. 61, 68].

United Nations, International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking: Decisions of the Conference, June 26, 1987, 26 I.L.M. 1637, generally [para. 111].

United Nations, International Drug Control Programme, World Drug Report (1997), pp. 17 [para. 105]; 18 [para. 93]; 86, 91 [para. 92]; 123 [para. 94]; 128 [para. 105].

United Nations, International Law Com­mission's Draft Code of Crimes Against the Peace and Security of Mankind (Report of the International Law Com­mission on the work of its forty-eighth session, UN Doc. A/51/10), chapter 2, generally [para. 140].

United Nations, International Law Com­mission's Report re its 42nd session, UN Doc. A/CN.4/SER.A/1990/Add.1 (Part 2), [1990] Yearbook of the International Law Commission, vol. II, Part Two, p. 30 [para. 153].

United Nations, Renewing the United Nations: A Programme for Reform, UN Doc. A/51/950, July 14, 1997, paras. 143, 144, 145 [para. 115].

United Nations, Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary and Summary Execu­tions, E/RES/1989/65, May 24, 1989, art. 5 [para. 155].

United States, Bureau of Drug Statistics, Drugs and Crime Facts, 1994, p. 26 [para. 87].

Counsel:

Lorne Waldman and Jaswinder Singh Gill, for the appellant;

Urszula Kaczmarczyk and Bonnie Boucher, for the respondent;

David Matas and Sharryn Aiken, for the intervener.

Solicitors of Record:

Waldman & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, for the appellant;

George Thomson, Toronto, Ontario, for the respondent;

David Matas, Winnipeg, Manitoba, for the intervener.

This appeal was heard on October 9, 1997, before L'Heureux-Dubé, Sopinka, Gonthier, Cory, McLachlin, Major and Bastarache, JJ., of the Supreme Court of Canada. The deci­sion of the court was delivered on June 4, 1998, in both official languages, including the following opinions:

Bastarache, J. (L'Heureux-Dubé, Gonthier and McLachlin, JJ., concur­ring) - see paragraphs 1 to 77;

Cory, J., dissenting (Major, J., concur­ring) - see paragraphs 78 to 158.

Sopinka, J., took no part in the judgment.