Federal Court of Appeal Decisions

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Date: 20020205

Docket: A-244-01

Neutral citation: 2002 FCA 52

CORAM:        ROTHSTEIN J.A.

SEXTON J.A.

SHARLOW J.A.

BETWEEN:

                                                                      GERRY VOGT

                                                                                                                                                       Applicant

                                                                                 and

                         THE MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT

                                                                                                                                                   Respondent

                                            Heard at Ottawa, Ontario, on February 5, 2002.

                     Judgment delivered from the bench at Ottawa, Ontario, on February 5, 2002.

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT BY:                                                     SEXTON J.A.


Date: 20020205

Docket: A-244-01

Neutral citation: 2002 FCA 52

CORAM:        ROTHSTEIN J.A.

SEXTON J.A.

SHARLOW J.A.

BETWEEN:

                                                                      GERRY VOGT

                                                                                                                                                       Applicant

                                                                                 and

                         THE MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT

                                                                                                                                                   Respondent

                                                        REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

SEXTON J.A.

[1]                 The applicant, a well-educated person who held a number of important managerial positions with several companies, upon being laid off in 1989, decided not to seek further work. He was 43 years of age at the time. In 1992, he developed a number of medical problems which he alleged made it impossible for him to work.


[2]                 His application for a disability pension was rejected by the Minister, a Review Tribunal and the Pension Appeals Board. On this application for judicial review of the decision of the Pension Appeals Board, the applicant argued that the Pension Appeals Board had applied the wrong legal test for "disability" as enunciated in the case of Villani v. Attorney General of Canada, (August 3, 2001) A-245-00 (F.C.A.). We do not agree. The reasons in their entirety made it clear that the proper test was applied.

[3]                 The applicant also argued that the Pension Appeals Board had failed to give reasons for not believing the applicant and had a duty to do so. In our view the Board's reasons were sufficiently comprehensive to demonstrate the reasoning on which its conclusions were based. The Pension Appeals Board reviewed the substantive evidence and concluded that there was no reliable objective evidence to support a finding that the applicant suffered from a disability such as to prevent him from regularly pursuing a substantially gainful occupation.

[4]                 We are not able to find that this was a patently unreasonable conclusion. For these reasons, the application will be dismissed.

                                                                                                                                            "J.Edgar Sexton"             

                                                                                                                                                                  J.A.


                                                    FEDERAL COURT OF APPEAL

                              NAMES OF COUNSEL AND SOLICITORS OF RECORD

DOCKET:                                             A-244-01

STYLE OF CAUSE:                          

                  GERRY VOGT v. MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT

PLACE OF HEARING:                     OTTAWA, ONTARIO

DATE OF HEARING:                       FEBRUARY 5, 2002

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT:             ROTHSTEIN J.A.

SEXTON J.A.

SHARLOW J.A.


DELIVERED FROM THE BENCH:                                     FEBRUARY 5, 2002

APPEARANCES:

Mr. Jacques Chartrand                                                                  FOR THE APPLICANT

Mr. John Vaissi Nagy                                                                     FOR THE RESPONDENT

SOLICITORS OF RECORD:

West End Legal Services

Ottawa, Ontario                                                                             FOR THE APPLICANT

Mr. Morris Rosenberg

Deputy Attorney General of Canada

Ottawa, Ontario                                                                             FOR THE RESPONDENT

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