Just returned from (beautiful) Victoria BC after attending the National Citizenship & Immigration Law CLE (Continuing Legal Education) Conference this weekend. Entitled "Shifting Sands: 2007 Canadian Immigration Law Update" the conference was a success (in my view) in providing practitioners with a heads-up on the important changes to immigration practice, policy and jurisprudence. Session 3A "Effective written and oral advocacy at the IAD" was especially beneficial, given the increase my practice has seen in appeals to the Immigration Appeal Division. The panel was composed of Phil Rankin, Gordon Maynard, Susan Kramer and Margaret Ostrowski QC (a Member of the IAD). I read both Phil's and Gordon's papers and have to say that they're very good and address the advocate's primary role for such hearings: proper preparation of the client. Member Ostrowski had a set of "kindly suggestions/do's or don'ts for practicing before the IAD. a. She kindly suggests that counsel (after a quick warm up of the client/appellant) spend the majority of time and effort on the decisive issue(s). She noted that there is at least 'one elephant' in teh room and it's preferable for counsel to deal with issues such as inconsistencies and address them (rather than Minister's counsel...
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