The Canadian federal court has ruled that a citizen deserves a fair hearing by an independent decision-maker before the government can move to strip a person’s citizenship.
Justice Jocelyne Gagne not only reversed the citizenship revocations against eight Canadian citizens who were alleged to have obtained their citizenship by fraud or misrepresentation, but in addition ordered the federal government to pay each of the litigants $5,000 for costs.
This decision means that unless the government can successfully appeal Gagne’s decision or installs some form of due process to revoke their citizenship, all eight individuals will soon have their Canadian citizenship restored.
“The fundamental importance of the nature of the decision, specifically a determination of the applicants’ right to remain Canadian citizens, weighs in favour of a high degree of procedural fairness. The revocation of citizenship has exceptional importance to the lives of those with an interest in its result,” Gagne wrote.
Read more at The Star
