Federal Court Decisions

Date: 20040220

Docket: IMM-895-04

Citation: 2004 FC 258

BETWEEN:

                                                                 HUNG PONG MAN

                                                                                                                                                       Applicant

                                                                                 and

                                                  THE MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP

                                                           AND IMMIGRATION and

                                           THE SOLICITOR GENERAL OF CANADA

                                                                                                                                               Respondents

                                                            REASONS FOR ORDER

LEMIEUX J.

[1]                 I reduce to writing the oral decision rendered when granting Mr. Man a stay from his removal to China pending determination of his leave and judicial review application from a negative risk assessment rendered by a PRRA officer in January of this year.

[2]                 In parallel proceedings in IMM-896-04 I granted Mr. Man a stay in respect of a negative H & C decision he also received in January of this year. The background facts are set out in my Reasons for Order in that case and need not be repeated here.

[3]                 The focus of the risk assessment turns on the treatment accorded in China to returnees to that country after conviction abroad for drug related offences which is what Mr. Man was convicted of twice (in 1993 and 1998) after being landed in this country in 1991 under a special programme set up after the Tian An Men Square massacre.

[4]                 I determined the applicant had made out serious issues related to three matters:

1)          the appearance of institutional bias because of the interaction between an enforcement officer and the PRRA officer;

2)          the failure of the PRRA officer to state how and why he sorted out conflicting documentary evidence on China's treatment of convicted drug returnees and

3)          the circumstances the PRRA officer obtained information from Canadian officials in Beijing on China's drug policy in respect of returnees.

[5]                 Irreparable harm was made out - China's returnee policy for convicted drug offenders entailed possible imprisonment and execution.

[6]                 The balance of convenience favoured the applicant, having met the first two tests.

            (Sgd.) "F. Lemieux"

     Judge

Vancouver, British Columbia

February 20, 2004

                                                                 FEDERAL COURT

                              NAMES OF COUNSEL AND SOLICITORS OF RECORD

DOCKET:                                             IMM-895-04

STYLE OF CAUSE:                           Hung Pong Man v

                                                The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration

PLACE OF HEARING:                     Vancouver British Columbia

DATE OF HEARING:                       February 16^th, 2004

REASONS FOR ORDER:              LEMIEUX J.

DATED:                                                February 20^th, 2004

APPEARANCES:

Darryl W. Larson                                                                           FOR APPLICANT

Esta Resnick                                                                                    FOR RESPONDENTS

SOLICITORS OF RECORD:

Embarkation Law Group                                                               FOR APPLICANT

Vancouver BC

Morris Rosenberg                                                                           FOR RESPONDENTS

Deputy Attorney General of Canada