Difference between revisions of "Introduction to Public Complaints (5:I)"

Substantive law reviewable by the courts can be divided into two areas: statutory interpretation related to the powers of a tribunal, and interpretation related to other broader questions of law. A tribunal can be overruled if it is acting without authority. A tribunal must  generally act within the jurisdiction of the legislation that created it. Similarly, a tribunal must not misinterpret the rules that govern  the way it exercises authority, since these rules represent a precondition to the exercise of that authority. The mandate of a tribunal is  defined in large part by the intention of the legislature. If in the course of exercising its authority a tribunal misinterprets its mandate,  a court may declare the tribunal’s decision void upon judicial review. Similarly, a tribunal can be overruled  if  it  applies  the  law incorrectly  in  other  contexts.  The  enabling  statute  creating  a given  tribunal  cannot  grant  it  the  authority  to  act  illegally  or  to change the law. (c)Standards of Review Different standards of review may be imposed depending on the issue that is under review and the nature of the tribunal. The law relating  to  standards  of  review  is  quite  complicated;  thus,  for  a more detailed discussion of the issues pertaining to the standards of  review,  one  should  refer  to Dunsmuir, above.  See  also  the ATA for statutorily prescribed standards of review applicable to certain provincial tribunals. Generally,  for  questions  of  law  that  go  beyond  the  tribunal’ s specialized  area  of  expertise,  the  standard  of  review  will  be correctness— i.e., the tribunal must get the law right.