The complaint was screened out after a review determined that the allegations did not fall within the jurisdiction of the member complaints process. The Complainant, a refugee claimant, alleged that a member of the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) used an aggressive and intimidating tone, pressured counsel to withdraw a rescheduling request, failed to review a late disclosure, and invoked Rule 27 of the RPD Rules without clear justification. As the complaint referenced conduct without giving examples, the recording of the hearing was reviewed.
The Ombudsperson found no evidence of aggressive or intimidating behaviour, and the remaining concerns were related to adjudicative independence, which fell outside the scope of the Procedures for Making a Complaint about a Member. The Chairperson accepted the recommendation to screen out the complaint, and the file was closed.