Special Import Measures Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. S-15)

Establishment of Panels

Marginal note:Appointment of panel

• 77.013 (1) On a request under section 77.011 for the review of a definitive decision by a panel, a panel shall be appointed for that purpose in accordance with paragraphs 1 to 4 of Annex 10-B.1 of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement and any regulations made in connection therewith.

• Marginal note:Judges may be appointed

  (2) Judges of any superior court in Canada and persons who are retired judges of any superior court in Canada are eligible to be appointed to a panel.

• Marginal note:Single panel

  (3) If a request is made for the review of a final determination of the President under paragraph 41(1)(b) that applies to or is made in respect of particular goods of a CUSMA country and another request is made for the review of an order or finding of the Tribunal under subsection 43(1) that applies to or is made in respect of those goods, one panel may, with the consent of the Minister and the government of that CUSMA country, be appointed to review the final determination and the order or finding.

Marginal note:Administrative record forwarded

77.014 On the appointment of the members of a panel to review a definitive decision, the appropriate authority shall cause a copy of the administrative record to be forwarded in accordance with the rules.

Review by Panel

Marginal note:Conduct of review

• 77.015 (1) A panel shall conduct a review of a definitive decision in accordance with Section D of Chapter 10 of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement and the rules.

• Marginal note:Powers of panel

  (2) A panel has such powers, rights and privileges as are conferred on it by the regulations.

• Marginal note:Disposition after review

  (3) On completion of the review of a definitive decision, a panel shall determine whether the grounds on which the review was requested have been established and shall make an order confirming the decision or referring the matter back to the appropriate authority for reconsideration within the period specified by the panel.

• Marginal note:Review of action of appropriate authority

  (4) A panel may, on its own initiative or on a request made in accordance with the rules, review the action taken by the appropriate authority pursuant to an order under subsection (3) and make a further order as described in that subsection within ninety days after the day on which the Canadian Secretary receives notice of the action.

• Marginal note:Decision

  (5) A decision of a panel shall be recorded in writing and shall include the reasons for the decision and any dissenting or concurring opinions of members of the panel, and the Canadian Secretary shall forward, by registered mail, a copy thereof and of the order made pursuant to subsection (3) or (4) to the Minister, the government of the CUSMA country involved, the appropriate authority and any other person who was heard in the review and shall cause notice of the decision to be published in the Canada Gazette.

Action on Decision of Panel

Marginal note:Action by appropriate authority

• 77.016 (1) Where a panel makes an order under subsection 77.015(3) or (4) or takes any action under subsection 77.019(5) referring a matter back to the appropriate authority for reconsideration, the appropriate authority shall, within the period specified by the panel, take action under this Act not inconsistent with the decision of the panel.

• Marginal note:Appropriate authority not required to act twice

  (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, an appropriate authority is not required to act on an order under subsection 77.015(4), unless it requires the authority to take action that is different from that taken by the authority under the order under subsection 77.015(3).

Extraordinary Challenge Proceeding

Marginal note:Request for extraordinary challenge proceeding

• 77.017 (1) Within the period after a panel makes an order under subsection 77.015(3) or (4) prescribed by the rules, the Minister or the government of the CUSMA country to which the order relates may request, in writing to the Canadian Secretary, that an extraordinary challenge proceeding be commenced with respect to the order.

• Marginal note:Ground for request

  (2) A request for an extraordinary challenge proceeding may be made only on a ground set forth in paragraph 13 of Article 10.12 of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement.

• Marginal note:Notification of request for extraordinary challenge proceeding

  (3) On receiving a request under this section made by the Minister, the Canadian Secretary shall notify the appropriate CUSMA country Secretary of the request and the day on which it was received by the Canadian Secretary, and on receiving a request under this section made by the government of a CUSMA country, the Canadian Secretary shall notify the Minister of the request and the day on which it was received by the Canadian Secretary.

Marginal note:Appointment of extraordinary challenge committee

77.018 On a request under section 77.017 for an extraordinary challenge proceeding, an extraordinary challenge committee shall be appointed for that purpose in accordance with paragraph 1 of Annex 10-B.3 of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement and any regulations made in connection therewith.

Marginal note:Conduct of extraordinary challenge proceeding

• 77.019 (1) A committee shall conduct an extraordinary challenge proceeding and make a decision in accordance with Annex 10-B.3 of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement and the rules.

• Marginal note:Powers of committee

  (2) A committee has such powers, rights and privileges as are conferred on it by the regulations.

• Marginal note:Where no grounds

  (3) Where a committee conducting an extraordinary challenge proceeding determines that the grounds in the request for the proceeding are not established, the committee shall deny the request, and the decision of the panel in respect of which the request was made shall stand affirmed.

• Marginal note:New panel

  (4) Where an order of a panel is set aside by a committee, a new panel shall, in accordance with this Part, be appointed and conduct a review of the definitive decision that was the subject of that order.

• Marginal note:Action by panel

  (5) Where an order of a panel is referred back to the panel by a committee, the panel shall take action not inconsistent with the decision of the committee.

• Marginal note:Decision

  (6) A decision of a committee shall be recorded in writing and shall include the reasons for the decision and any dissenting or concurring opinions of members of the committee, and the Canadian Secretary shall forward, by registered mail, a copy thereof and of the order made by the committee to the Minister, the government of the CUSMA country involved, the appropriate authority and any other person who was heard in the proceeding and shall cause notice of the decision to be published in the Canada Gazette.

Marginal note:Orders and decisions final

• 77.02 (1) Subject to subsection 77.015(4) and section 77.019, an order or decision of a panel or committee is final and binding and is not subject to appeal.

• Marginal note:No review

  (2) Subject to subsection 77.015(4) and section 77.019, no order, decision or proceeding of a panel or committee made or carried on under, or purporting to be made or carried on under, this Act shall be

  • (a) questioned, reviewed, set aside, removed, prohibited or restrained, or

  • (b) made the subject of any proceedings in, or any process or order of, any court, whether by way of or in the nature of injunction, certiorari, prohibition, quo warranto, declaration or otherwise,

  on any ground, including the ground that the order, decision or proceeding is beyond the jurisdiction of the panel or committee to make or carry on or that, in the course of any proceeding, the panel or committee for any reason exceeded or lost jurisdiction.

• Marginal note:No references

  (3) Subsection 18.3(1) of the Federal Courts Act does not apply to a panel, committee or special committee.

Members

Marginal note:Code of conduct

• 77.021 (1) Every member of a panel, committee or special committee shall comply with the code of conduct, as amended from time to time, established pursuant to Article 10.17 of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement.

• Marginal note:Disclosure undertaking respecting confidential information

  (2) Every member of a panel and every prescribed person shall sign and comply with a disclosure undertaking, in the prescribed form, respecting the disclosure and use of confidential, personal, business proprietary and other privileged or prescribed information made available to the member or person in proceedings under this Part.

• Marginal note:Immunity

  (3) Subject to section 77.034, no action or other proceeding lies or shall be commenced against a member of a panel for or in respect of anything done or omitted to be done, or purported to be done or omitted to be done, under this Part.

Marginal note:Remuneration and expenses of panel members

77.022 Every member of a panel shall be paid such remuneration and is entitled to such travel and living expenses incurred in the performance of the member’s duties under this Part as are fixed by the Free Trade Commission established pursuant to Article 30.1 of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement.

Review by Special Committee

Marginal note:Request for review

• 77.023 (1) A request for a review by a special committee may be made to the Canadian Secretary by the government of a CUSMA country only with respect to an allegation referred to in paragraph 1 of Article 10.13 of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement.

• Marginal note:Appointment of special committee

  (2) On a request for a review referred to in subsection (1), a special committee shall be appointed for that purpose in accordance with Annex 10-B.3 of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement and any regulations made in connection therewith.

Marginal note:Stay of panel reviews and committee proceedings

• 77.024 (1) Subject to subsection (2), where a special committee makes an affirmative finding against a CUSMA country pursuant to a request made by Canada in respect of an allegation referred to in paragraph 1 of Article 10.13 of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement, the Minister shall stay all of the following panel reviews and committee proceedings that were requested by the government or a person of that CUSMA country after the date on which consultations were requested under paragraph 1 of Article 10.13 of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement:

  • (a) panel reviews under section 77.011; and

  • (b) committee proceedings under section 77.017.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (2) Subsection (1) does not apply in respect of a panel review or committee proceeding that was requested more than one hundred and fifty days prior to the affirmative finding by the special committee.