Release of Guideline 6 - Scheduling and Changing the Date or Time of a Proceeding
The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) has released its revised Guideline 6: Scheduling and Changing the Date or Time of a Proceeding. The instrument comes into effect April 14th, 2010, and is applicable to all three Divisions. It replaces the 2003 Guideline 6: Scheduling and Changing the Date or Time of a Proceeding in the Refugee Protection Division.
The Guideline explains the procedure that the IRB follows before and during a hearing to ensure that scheduling is fair and efficient. It also outlines the procedures for the three divisions, i.e. the Refugee Protection Division, the Immigration Appeal Division and the Immigration Division. It provides members with criteria to consider when dealing with applications to change the date or time of a proceeding and is one of a number of tools used by the IRB to reduce the incidence of avoidable adjournments and postponements.
While Chairperson's Guidelines are not mandatory, decision-makers are expected to apply them or provide a reasoned justification for not doing so. The Guideline reflects the IRB's commitment to resolve immigration and refugee cases efficiently, fairly and in accordance with the law.
Brian Goodman
Chairperson