Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) v. Chen

Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) v. Chen Court (s) Database Federal Court of Appeal Decisions Date 2005-02-03 Neutral citation 2005 FCA 56 File numbers A-614-04, IMM-10140-03, IMM-1467-04, IMM-576-04, IMM-577-04 Notes Reported Decision Decision Content Federal Court Reports Chen v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) (F.C.A.) [2005] 3 F.C. 589 Date: 20050203 Docket: A-614-04 Citation: 2005 FCA 56 CORAM: ROTHSTEIN J.A. EVANS J.A. MALONE J.A. BETWEEN: (Lower Court No. IMM-577-04) THE MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION Appellant (Respondent in the Federal Court) and CHEN, Tsai-Cheng, PENG, Sheng-Chien, WU, Chin-Chung, LIN, Chin Yuan, KUO, Nai Wei, WANG, Hsiu Shan, HSIEH, Tze-En, HUNG, Mei Ying, KO, Ching Yi, KO, Yu Fan, KO Yu Chu, HSU, Tase Yuen, CHANG, Lien Fang, CHEN, Yuan Hsing, LIN, Cheng-I, CHEN, Ping-Hung, HSIEH, Tsung-Jen, CHEN, Yeuh-Yin, FANG CHANG, Shu Min, PUI, Kwan Kay, LAI, Yung-Liang, CHANG, Ting Hui, CHANG, Fang Ming, LEI, Manuel Joao, LIN, Yung Nien, HUANG HSU, Li-Mei, FANG, Ming-Tau, LIU, Kun Yung, CHEN, Kun-Wen, TSENG, Hung Yu, CHANG, Mao, MENG, Lin Yu, TAI, Yu-Hu, YANG, Cheng-Kang, CHEN, Wen Shing, YU, Chung-Wen, YU, Wei-Chung, LIN, Shih Chun, CHANG, Lei-Fa, CHAO, Lin Shu, HSU, Pao Hua Respondents (Applicants in the Federal Court) (Lower Court No. IMM-1467-04) BETWEEN: THE MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION Appellant (Respondent in the Federal Court) and CHU, Kar Ho and PENG, Jeng-Yang Alex Respondents (Applicants in the Federal Court) (Lower Court File No.: IMM-10140-03) BETWEEN: THE MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION Appellant (Defendant in the Federal Court) and PENG, Sheng-Chien, WU, Chin-Chung, LIN, Chin Yuan, KUO, Nai Wei, WANG, Hsiu Shan, HSIEH, Tze-En, HUNG, Mei Ying, KO, Ching Yi, KO, Yu Fan, KO Yu Chu, HSU, Tase Yuen, CHANG, Lien Fang, CHEN, Yuan Hsing, LIN, Cheng-I, CHEN, Ping-Hung, HSIEH, Tsung-Jen, CHEN, Yeuh-Yin, FANG CHANG, Shu-Min, PUI, Kwan Kay, LAI, Yung-Liang, CHANG, Ting Hui, CHAN, Yun Tsung, CHAN, Kai Yen, CHANG, Frang Ming, LEI, Manuel Joao, LIN, Yung Nien, HUANG, Chin Ming, HUANG HSU, Li-Mei, HUANG, Hsiu-Chu, FANG, Ming-Tau, LIU, Kun Yung, CHEN, Kun-Wen, TSENG, Hung Yu, WANG, Bey Ling, HSIAO, Hsueh Chun, CHANG, Mao, MENG, Lin Yu, TAI, Yu-Hu, YANG, Cheng-Kang, CHEN, Wen Shing, YU, Chung-Wen, YU, Wei-Chung, LIN, Shih Chun, CHANG, Lei-Fa, CHAO, Lin Shu, HSU, Pao Hua Respondents (Plaintiffs in the Federal Court) (Lower Court File No.: IMM-576-04) BETWEEN: THE MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION Appellant (Defendant in the Federal Court) and Kin Wah AU, Mel Chu HSU, Shu-Ho Sun, Lai Sha SO, Ching Man AU, Ho Pang AU, Lung Pin CHEN, Huan-Yuan CHEN, Png- Ju CHEN, Ping-Hua CHEN, Pu-Chun SUN KUO, Wen-Kuel SUN and Wen-LI SUN Respondents (Plaintiffs in the Federal Court) Heard at Toronto, Ontario, on February 3, 2005. Order delivered from the Bench at Toronto, Ontario, on February 3, 2005. REASONS FOR ORDER OF THE COURT BY: EVANS J.A. Date: 20050203 Docket: A-614-04 Citation: 2005 FCA 56 CORAM: ROTHSTEIN J.A. EVANS J.A. MALONE J.A. BETWEEN: (Lower Court No. IMM-577-04) THE MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION Appellant (Respondent in the Federal Court) and CHEN, Tsai-Cheng, PENG, Sheng-Chien, WU, Chin-Chung, LIN, Chin Yuan, KUO, Nai Wei, WANG, Hsiu Shan, HSIEH, Tze-En, HUNG, Mei Ying, KO, Ching Yi, KO, Yu Fan, KO Yu Chu, HSU, Tase Yuen, CHANG, Lien Fang, CHEN, Yuan Hsing, LIN, Cheng-I, CHEN, Ping-Hung, HSIEH, Tsung-Jen, CHEN, Yeuh-Yin, FANG CHANG, Shu Min, PUI, Kwan Kay, LAI, Yung-Liang, CHANG, Ting Hui, CHANG, Fang Ming, LEI, Manuel Joao, LIN, Yung Nien, HUANG HSU, Li-Mei, FANG, Ming-Tau, LIU, Kun Yung, CHEN, Kun-Wen, TSENG, Hung Yu, CHANG, Mao, MENG, Lin Yu, TAI, Yu-Hu, YANG, Cheng-Kang, CHEN, Wen Shing, YU, Chung-Wen, YU, Wei-Chung, LIN, Shih Chun, CHANG, Lei-Fa, CHAO, Lin Shu, HSU, Pao Hua Respondents (Applicants in the Federal Court) (Lower Court No. IMM-1467-04) BETWEEN: THE MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION Appellant (Respondent in the Federal Court) and CHU, Kar Ho and PENG, Jeng-Yang Alex Respondents (Applicants in the Federal Court) (Lower Court File No.: IMM-10140-03) BETWEEN: THE MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION Appellant (Defendant in the Federal Court) and PENG, Sheng-Chien, WU, Chin-Chung, LIN, Chin Yuan, KUO, Nai Wei, WANG, Hsiu Shan, HSIEH, Tze-En, HUNG, Mei Ying, KO, Ching Yi, KO, Yu Fan, KO Yu Chu, HSU, Tase Yuen, CHANG, Lien Fang, CHEN, Yuan Hsing, LIN, Cheng-I, CHEN, Ping-Hung, HSIEH, Tsung-Jen, CHEN, Yeuh-Yin, FANG CHANG, Shu-Min, PUI, Kwan Kay, LAI, Yung-Liang, CHANG, Ting Hui, CHAN, Yun Tsung, CHAN, Kai Yen, CHANG, Frang Ming, LEI, Manuel Joao, LIN, Yung Nien, HUANG, Chin Ming, HUANG HSU, Li-Mei, HUANG, Hsiu-Chu, FANG, Ming-Tau, LIU, Kun Yung, CHEN, Kun-Wen, TSENG, Hung Yu, WANG, Bey Ling, HSIAO, Hsueh Chun, CHANG, Mao, MENG, Lin Yu, TAI, Yu-Hu, YANG, Cheng-Kang, CHEN, Wen Shing, YU, Chung-Wen, YU, Wei-Chung, LIN, Shih Chun, CHANG, Lei-Fa, CHAO, Lin Shu, HSU, Pao Hua Respondents (Plaintiffs in the Federal Court) (Lower Court File No.: IMM-576-04) BETWEEN: THE MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION Appellant (Defendant in the Federal Court) and Kin Wah AU, Mel Chu HSU, Shu-Ho Sun, Lai Sha SO, Ching Man AU, Ho Pang AU, Lung Pin CHEN, Huan-Yuan CHEN, Png- Ju CHEN, Ping-Hua CHEN, Pu-Chun SUN KUO, Wen-Kuel SUN and Wen-LI SUN Respondents (Plaintiffs in the Federal Court) REASONS FOR ORDER OF THE COURT (Delivered from the Bench at Toronto, Ontario, on February 3, 2005) EVANS J.A. [1] This is a motion brought on behalf of the respondents to quash an appeal by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration against the decision of Russell J. of the Federal Court in Chen v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), 2004 FC 1573. In that decision, the Judge directed that an application for judicial review made by the respondents be treated and proceeded with as an action pursuant to subsection 18.4(2) of the Federal Courts Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. F-7. [2] The litigation from which this motion arises involves claims for injunctive and monetary relief by the respondents, non-Canadian citizens currently outside Canada, who have at one time lived here. Their claims allege that the Minister breached their statutory and constitutional rights by unlawfully failing to process their applications for permanent resident cards, without which they cannot return to their homes and families in Canada, even as visitors. [3] In their motion, the respondents allege that this Court is without jurisdiction to hear the Minister's appeal, on the ground that it arises from an application for judicial review in an immigration matter and, when rendering judgment, the Judge did not certify that a serious question of general importance was involved pursuant to paragraph 74(d) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, S.C. 2001 c. 27 ("IRPA"). Without a certified question, an appeal does not lie from the Federal Court to this Court. Moreover, subsection 75(2) of IRPA provides that, to the extent that there is an inconsistency between a provision in Division 8 of IRPA (that is, sections 72-75) and the Federal Courts Act, the former prevails. [4] In response to the respondents' motion, the Minister says that the provisions in IRPA limiting the right of appeal from the Federal Court to this Court only apply in respect of applications for judicial review. The effect of Russell J.'s decision is to turn the respondents' application into an action, to which Division 8 does not apply, including the certified question provision, and the prohibition on appeals from interlocutory judgments contained in IRPA, paragraph 72(2)(e). Hence, the Minister argues, he may rely on the unrestricted right of appeal to this Court from a final or interlocutory judgment of the Federal Court conferred by section 27 of the Federal Courts Act. [5] We are all of the view that the respondents' motion should succeed. This Court has consistently taken the view that the provisions in Division 8 of IRPA and the analogous provision in its predecessor, the Immigration Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. I-2, subsection, 83(1), effectively preclude an appeal from a decision in an application for judicial review respecting an immigration matter, as well as from ancillary or interlocutory decisions relating thereto. [6] The respondents rely particularly on Geza v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) (2001), 266 N.R. 158 (F.C.A.), in which the Court dismissed an appeal from a decision by a Judge of the Federal Court, Trial Division (as it then was) refusing to convert an application for judicial review in an immigration matter into an action, on the ground that no question had been certified. [7] The Minister seeks to distinguish Geza by saying that since, in that case, the Court refused to convert the application, the proceeding continued as an application and the appeal was in respect of it. In contrast, Russell J.'s order that the application for judicial review be treated and proceeded with as an action effectively put an end to the application, so that the only extant proceeding is the respondents' action, to which Division 8 of IRPA does not apply. [8] We do not accept this argument. We are not persuaded that either the language of the statutory text, or the underlying policy, supports the distinction advanced on behalf of the Minister. [9] The Minister also relies on cases in which it has been held that, once an application for judicial review has been converted into an action, the proceeding continues subject to the rules governing actions: see, for example,Adams v. Canada (Commissioner, Royal Canadian Mounted Police) (1995), 182 N.R. 354 (FCA); Shubenacadie Indian Band v. Canada (Attorney General) (2002), 299 N.R. 241 (FCA). [10] In our view, these cases are also distinguishable, on the ground that they involved disputes about procedural issues arising after a conversion of an application to an action and did not concern the propriety of the conversion itself. In the present case, in contrast, the subject of the appeal is whether the Judge erred in converting the respondents' application into an action. [11] For these reasons, the respondents' motion will be granted and the Minister's appeal will be dismissed, with costs to the respondents fixed in the sum of $6,500.00, inclusive of disbursements and G.S.T. "John M. Evans" J.A. FEDERAL COURT OF APPEAL NAMES OF COUNSEL AND SOLICITORS OF RECORD DOCKET: A-614-04 STYLE OF CAUSE: THE MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION Appellant - and - CHEN, TSAI-CHENG, ET AL. Respondents PLACE OF HEARING: TORONTO, ONTARIO DATE OF HEARING: FEBRUARY 3, 2005 REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT: (ROTHSTEIN, EVANS AND MALONE JJ.A.) DELIVERED FROM THE BENCH BY: EVANS J.A. APPEARANCES: Mr. Sean Gaudet Ms. Brenda Carbonell FOR THE APPELLANT Mr. Rocco Galati Mr. Lawrence Wong FOR THE RESPONDENTS SOLICITORS OF RECORD: John H. Sims Deputy Attorney General of Canada FOR THE APPELLANT Galati, Rodrigues & Associates Toronto, Ontario FOR THE RESPONDENTS Wong Pederson Law Offices Vancouver, B.C. FOR THE RESPONDENTS