WPCK0 qh}ˀ xO( @tz*~],VjLwyE[xH}gȶ|^ `HDu6Gt0"gB n1WYk/z/tpLNTC`ڹ!i6A=ue>oYS6{`$~@U|ݹ /J-M^8e*\G97mʟ ǹ+h?:\ ĈHAlY<H`g`"L,"6U>rg*PGp~*-tLki+]yOfAKѵ >O c^]{ W2(֑WD!z.Lށ|c6f~?ڥ g\}/٥P_'SD  hV䫨7h϶êzlzH#UN % 0: 0? 03 0$ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0g 0I 0( 0 0 0 0 0V 0# 0 0 0 0 0_ 04 0 0 0 00j 0< 0 0> 0v 0`H! 0`! 0`" 0`h" 0`" 08(# 0`# 022$ 0d$ 0:`% 0Y% 0_% 0 R& 0j\' 0( B*J* D/t* D+* 0* D/R, 0, 06O- 0- 0:. 0^. 0<%/U6a/U>/U*/^ /w 040#020 m40HP LaserJet 4000 Series PS0(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularX(\$CEUS.,2J+M 0_level1  X 2( ` hp x 223  ..  5+ ` hp x 5  2G+M 0_level2   /%` ` hp x /23  ..  5+ ` hp x 5  2D+M 0_level3   ," hp x ,23  ..  5+ ` hp x 5  2A+M 0_level4  ` ) hp x )23  ..  5+ ` hp x 5  2>+M 0_level5   &hhp x &23  ..  5+ ` hp x 5  2;+M 0_level6   #p x #23  ..  5+ ` hp x 5  28+M 0_level7  h  p x 23  ..  5+ ` hp x 5  25+M 0_level8   pp x 23  ..  5+ ` hp x 5  22+M 0_level9    x 23  ..  5+ ` hp x 5  2JM 0_levsl1  X 2( ` hp x 223  Ԁ  5+ ` hp x 5  2GM 0_levsl2   /%` ` hp x /23  Ԁ  5+ ` hp x 5  2DM 0_levsl3   ," hp x ,23  Ԁ  5+ ` hp x 5  2AM 0_levsl4  ` ) hp x )23  Ԁ  5+ ` hp x 5  2>M 0_levsl5   &hhp x &23  Ԁ  5+ ` hp x 5  2;M 0_levsl6   #p x #23  Ԁ  5+ ` hp x 5  28M 0_levsl7  h  p x 23  Ԁ  5+ ` hp x 5  25M 0_levsl8   pp x 23  Ԁ  5+ ` hp x 5  22M 0_levsl9    x 23  Ԁ  5+ ` hp x 5  2JM 0_levnl1  X 2( ` hp x 223   5+ ` hp x 5  2GM 0_levnl2   /%` ` hp x /23   5+ ` hp x 5  2DM 0_levnl3   ," hp x ,23   5+ ` hp x 5  2AM 0_levnl4  ` ) hp x )23   5+ ` hp x 5  2>M 0_levnl5   &hhp x &23   5+ ` hp x 5  2;M 0_levnl6   #p x #23   5+ ` hp x 5  28M 0_levnl7  h  p x 23   5+ ` hp x 5  25M 0_levnl8   pp x 23   5+ ` hp x 5  22M 0_levnl9    x 23   5+ ` hp x 5  0.Normal<:Definition T<AA:Definition L , 5+ ` hp x 5  5+ ` hp x 586Definition(''&H1      XXX(&H2  XXX(&H3  XXX(&H4 XXX XXX(&H5  XXX(&H6  XXX20Address8MM6Blockquote , , 5+ ` hp x 5   5+ ` hp x 5,*CITE,dl*CODEK?<6X9`(Courier NewKXXXS@\  `&Times New RomanS42Emphasis64Hyperlink    <:FollowedHype    4go2Keyboard K?<6X9`(Courier NewK XXXS@\  `&Times New RomanS<:Preformatted/%  ,Kk %#/K?<6X9`(Courier NewKXXXS@\  `&Times New RomanS/%  ,Kk %#/<:zBottom of 75(X7  ?A%2A`Arial?76(X7  XXXS@\  `&Times New RomanS&  d d4)1dxd'dxd<:zTop of For78(X7  ?A%2A`Arial?76(X7  XXXS@\  `&Times New RomanS4)2dxd0KS.SampleK?<6X9`(Courier NewKS@\  `&Times New RomanS0.Strong 8dl6TypewriterK?<6X9`(Courier NewKXXXS@\  `&Times New RomanS42Variable: 8HTML MarkupB      2 0CommentB  <6X9`(Courier New\  `&Times New Roman%2A`Arial') 'gt) Docume33|xU \!CEUS.,  _ __COMMITTEEAGAINSTTORTURE  _________L.O._Ԁv.Canada  CommunicationNo95/1997 ` 19May2000 8  CAT/C/24/D/95/1997  ` ADMISSIBILITY  $  Submittedby:_L.O._Ԁ(namewithheld)[representedbycounsel]   Allegedvictim:Theauthor p Stateparty:Canada H Dateofcommunication:23October1997  p   TheCommitteeagainstTorture,establishedunderarticle17oftheConventionagainstTortureand 4 OtherCruel,InhumanorDegradingTreatmentorPunishment,   Meetingon19May2000,  Adoptsthefollowing:     Decisiononadmissibility  D! g1.1TheauthorofthecommunicationisMr._L.O._,aGhanaiannational,bornon27December1967, $X" whowasdeportedafterhavingsoughtasyluminCanada.HeclaimsthathisdeportationtoGhana $D # constitutesaviolationbyCanadaoftheConvention.Heisrepresentedbycounsel. %0!$ 1.2Inaccordancewitharticle22,paragraph3oftheConvention,theCommitteetransmittedthe '#& communicationtotheStatepartyon19November1997.Atthesametime,TheCommittee (#' requestedtheStatepartypursuanttorule108,paragraph9oftheCommittee'srulesofprocedure, )$( nottoexpeltheauthortoGhanawhilehiscommunicationwasunderconsideration.Inasubmission |*%) of22January1998,theStatepartyinformedtheCommitteethattheauthorhadbeenremovedfrom h+&* Canadaon27October1997,priortothereceiptbytheStatepartyofthecommunicationandits T,'+ requestforinterimmeasures. @-(, ЇThefactsaspresentedbytheauthor  2.1In1987,theauthor,thenastudent,wasarrestedfollowingmassprotestsagainsteducational  reforms.In1990,theauthorbeganteachingatasecondarySchool.In1992,hebecameamember t oftheNewPatrioticPartyandrepresentedthispartyatapollingstationduringelectionsin ` Novemberofthesameyear.Althoughhereportedirregularitiestothepolice,theywereignored. L  2.2InSeptember1992,theauthorstartedhisstudiesattheUniversityforScienceandTechnology $ t inKumasi.InJanuary1993,hebecameanactivememberoftheNationalUnionofGhanaStudents.  ` On24March1994,herepresentedtheUniversityatthe24thAnnualCongressoftheUnionand  L  spokeoutagainsttheeducationalreformpolicyoftheGovernmentandagainstthefrequentarrest  8  ofstudents.Asaresultofhisspeech,theauthorwasexpelledfromtheuniversity,togetherwith20 $  others.On31March1994,followingademonstrationbystudentstoprotesttheChancellor's   expulsiondecision,theauthorwasarrestedandaccusedofincitingstudentstoprotestagainstthe   Government.Hestatesthathewasstrippednaked,beatenandsubjectedtoinhumantreatmentby   thepolice.Afterfivedaysofcustodyhewasreleasedthankstoabribe.Hesubsequentlyfledthe   country. p 2.3Asevidenceofhisallegations,thereferstoaletterfromhisfatherdated10October1995,in H whichhisfatherinformedhimthatthepolicehadcometothefamily'shousetolookforhim. 4 Moreover,heproducesanattestationbyapsychologistindicatingthathesuffersfromsevereand  p chronicposttraumaticstressdisorder.HealsostatesthatthereexistsabrutaldictatorshipinGhana,  \ wherenopoliticaloppositionistolerated. H 2.4TheauthorrequestedasyluminCanadainApril1994.TheImmigrationandRefugeeBoard   heardhisclaimforrefugeestatuson15December1994.On25January1995,theclaimwas   rejected.TheauthorappliedforreviewbeforetheFederalCourtofCanadaofthedecisionofthe  ImmigrationandRefugeeBoard,whichheallegedtobemanifestlyunreasonableandnotbasedon  theevidencebeforeit.On6September1995,theFederalCourtofCanadadeniedtheapplicationfor  judicialreview.Theauthoremphasizesthatsuchajudicialreviewisaverylimitedreviewtogross l errorsoflawratherthananappealonthemerits.Moreover,hecontendsthatthisremedyhasno X  suspensiveeffectsothatanapplicantcanbedeportedwhilehisrequestispendingbeforetheCourt. D! 2.5InDecember1996,theauthorappliedforadministrativereviewbya"postclaimdetermination #l! officer"underthe"postdeterminationrefugeeclassinCanada"programme.Thisprogrammeisan $X" administrativereviewwithoutoralhearingwhich,inthevastmajorityofcasessimplyreiteratesthe $D # reasonsgivenbytheImmigrationandRefugeeBoardforrefusingtheclaimant.On10January1997, %0!$ hisapplicationundertheprogrammewasrejected. &"% 2.6On16January1997,theauthorappliedforjudicialreviewofthedecisionbythepostclaim (#' determinationofficer.On8July1997,theFederalCourtofCanadarejectedhisrequestforjudicial )$( review.Theauthorwasthentakenintocustodywithaviewtohisbeingdeported. |*%) 2.7On27October1997,theStatepartyremovedtheauthortoGhana.Accordingtocounsel,asof T,'+ 5November1999,theauthorwasresidingwithoutlegalstatusintheNetherlandsandwishesto @-(, continuewithhiscommunicationagainstCanada.  Thecomplaint  3.1TheauthorstatesthathewouldbeatriskoftortureuponhisreturntoGhanaandthatdeportation ` bytheCanadianauthoritiesconstitutesaviolationoftheConvention. L  3.2InCanada,theriskassessmentismadebyimmigrationofficerswho,accordingtotheauthor,do $ t nothavethenecessarycompetenceinmattersofinternationalhumanrightslaworinotherlegal  ` mattersanddonotfulfilthebasiccriteriaofimpartialityandindependencefortakingsuchdecisions.  L  TheauthoralsoreferstoacaseoftheEuropeanCourtofHumanRights(_Chahal_Ԁv.TheUnited  8  Kingdom)whichindicatesthelegalguaranteesthatmustberespectedbythecountrythatis $  deporting:   "Insuchcases,giventheirreversiblenatureoftheharmthatmightoccuriftheriskofilltreatment   materializedandtheimportancetheCourtattachestoarticle3,thenotionofaneffectiveremedy   underarticle13requiresindependentscrutinyoftheclaimthatthereexistsubstantialgroundsfor p fearingarealriskoftreatmentcontrarytoarticle3.Thisscrutinymustbecarriedoutwithoutregard \ towhatthepersonmaygavedonetowarrantexpulsionortoanyperceivedthreattothenational H securityoftheexpellingState....Suchscrutinyneednotbeprovidedbyajudicialauthoritybut,if 4 itisnot,thepowersandguaranteeswhichitaffordsarerelevanttodeterminingwhethertheremedy  p beforeitiseffective."  \ TheauthoraffirmsthattheStateparty'sprocedureofriskassessmentviolatethismandatory 4 "independentscrutiny".ThesameauthoritiesthatstudytherelevanceoftheremovalfromCanadian   territoryproceedtothedeportationitself.   Stateparty'sobservationsonadmissibility  4.1Inasubmissiondated9November1998,theStatepartysubmittedthatthecommunicationwas l inadmissibleforfailuretoexhaustdomesticremediesasrequiredbyarticle22,paragraph5(b),of X  theConventionandrule91oftheCommittee'srulesofprocedure. D! 4.2TheStatepartyunderlinesthatitisafundamentalprincipleofinternationallawthatdomestic #l! remediesmustbeexhaustbeforeremedyfromaninternationalbodymaybesought.Thisprinciple $X" givestheStateanopportunitytocorrectinternallyanywrongthatmayhavebeencommittedbefore $D # theState'sinternationalresponsibilityisengaged. %0!$ 4.3TheStatepartyarguesthattheauthorhasfailedtoseekministerialexemptiononhumanitarian '#& andcompassionategroundsundersubsection114(2)oftheCanadianImmigrationActandsection (#' 2.1ofitsImmigrationRegulations.Thisremedywouldhaveenabledtheauthortoapplytothe )$( MinisteronImmigrationandCitizenshipatanytimeforanexemptionfromtherequirementsofthe |*%) immigrationlegislationorforadmissiontoCanadaoncompassionateorhumanitariangrounds.In h+&* thisregard,theStatepartyreferstothejurisprudenceoftheCommitteeinitsdecisionK.v.Canada T,'+ (communicationNo.42/1996,25November1997),wheretheauthorhadbeendeemednottohave @-(, exhausteddomesticremediessincehehadnotlodgedarequestforaministerialwaiverfor  humanitarianandcompassionategrounds.  4.4TheStatepartyalsoreferstotheauthor'sclaimthatthejudicialreviewbytheFederalCourtof t CanadahasnosuspensiveeffectandthereforeentitlestheStatepartytodeporttheapplicantwhile ` theFederalCourtisdecidingwhethersuchremovalislegal.Itemphasizesthatinthesecasesthere L  isapossibilitytomakeanapplicationtotheFederalCourtforaninterimorderstayingremovalwhile 8  thedecisionispendingbeforetheCourt.ThecriteriathatareappliedbytheFederalCourtin $ t grantingsuchinterimordersare:(a)theseriousnessoftheissueraisedbytheauthor;(b)the  ` irreparableharmsufferedbytheauthorincaseofremoval;and(c)whenthebalanceofconvenience  L  favourstheorder.  8  Counsel'scomments   5.1Theauthormaintainsthathehasexhaustedallavailabledomesticremediesbeforesubmitting   hiscommunication.Heallegesthatitisillusorytobelievethattheministerialreviewfor   humanitarianreasons,basedsolelyontheriskofreturn,wouldbetreateddifferentlythatthepost p determinationreview. \ 5.2Itissubmittedthatrequestsforaministerialwaiveronhumanitarianandcompassionategrounds 4 andpostdeterminationreviewarehandledbythesamepersonsorpersonsatthesamelevelinthe  p samedepartment.Asaresult,withoutnewevidence,itisobviousthatthedecisionwillbethesame.  \ 5.3AttheFederalCourtlevel,thesameargumentapplies:leavehavingbeendeniedforjudicial 4 reviewofthepostdeterminationrefusal,itcouldnotbegrantedonexactlythesamefactsandthe   samepointsoflawatalaterstage.   5.4Theauthorunderlinestheillusorynatureofthehumanitarianandcompassionatereviewwhen  theFederalCourthasalreadydealtwiththeissuesofsubstance.Asaconsequence,andgiventhe  constantjurisprudenceoftheFederalCourtofCanada,thereisnorecourseleftwithanyrealchance l ofsuccessandthecaseclearlyfallswithintheexceptionofarticle22,paragraph5(b),ofthe X  Convention. D! IssuesandproceedingsbeforetheCommittee #l! 6.1TheCommitteewishestoemphasizethatalthoughithadrequestedtheStateparty,underrule $D # 108(9)ofitsrulesofprocedure,nottoremovetheauthorwhilehiscommunicationwaspending %0!$ beforeit,theStatepartywasinformedtoolatecocomplywiththerequest.Theremovaltookplace &"% almostamonthbeforethetransmissionofthecommunication. '#& 6.2Beforeconsideringanyclaimscontainedinacommunication,theCommitteemustdecide )$( whetherornotitisadmissibleunderarticle22oftheConvention.TheCommitteehasascertained, |*%) asitisrequiredtodounderarticle22,paragraph5(a),oftheConvention,thatthesamematterhas h+&* notbeenandisnotbeingexaminedunderanotherprocedureofinternationalinvestigationor T,'+ settlement.Italsonotesthatthecommunicationisnotanabuseoftherightofsubmissionofsuch @-(, communicationsorincompatiblewiththeprovisionsoftheConvention.  6.3Asregardstheexhaustionofdomesticremedies,theCommitteehastakennoteofthe  observationsbytheStatepartyandbytheauthor'scounsel.Pursuanttoarticle22,paragraph5(b), t oftheConvention,theCommitteeisprecludedfromconsideringanycommunicationunlessithas ` beenascertainedthatallavailabledomesticremedieshavebeenexhausted;thisruledoesnot L  howeverapplyifitisestablishedthattheapplicationofdomesticremedieshasbeenorwouldbe 8  unreasonablyprolongedorwouldbeunlikelytobringeffectiverelieftothepresumedvictim. $ t 6.4Inthepresentcase,theStatepartyarguesthattheauthordidnotapplyforastayofhisremoval  L  beforetheFederalCourtandfailedtoapplyforaministerialexemptiononhumanitarianand  8  compassionategrounds. $  6.5Theauthordoesnotdisputethathedidnotapplyforastayofhisremovalanddidnotapplyfor   aministerialwaiveronhumanitarianandcompassionategrounds.Inthisregard,theCommitteefirst   notesthatanapplicationforaministerialwaiveronhumanitarianandcompassionategroundsisa   statutoryremedy.Moreover,itnotesthatincaseofrefusalofthewaiverbytheminister,ajudicial p reviewisopentotheauthorwiththepossibilityofapplyingforastayofremoval.Finally,evenif \ theauthorclaimsthatthoseremedieswereillusory,hehasfurnishednoevidencethattheywould H beunlikelytosucceed.TheCommitteethereforeconsidersthattheconditionslaiddowninarticle 4 22,paragraph5(b),oftheConventionhavenotbeenmet.  p 7.TheCommitteeconsequentlydecides: H (a)Thatthecommunicationisinadmissible;   (b)Thatthisdecisionmaybereviewedunderrule109oftheCommittee'srulesofprocedureupon  receiptofarequestbyoronbehalfoftheauthorcontaininginformationtotheeffectthatthereasons  forinadmissibilitynolongerapply;  (c)ThatthisdecisionshallbecommunicatedtotheStateparty,theauthorandhisrepresentative. X  [DoneinEnglish,French,RussianandSpanish,theEnglishtextbeingtheoriginalversion.]