OTTAWA, December 8, 2006 — The Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today announced eight full-time appointments to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB). Alain Bissonnette, Michel Byczak, Dana Kean, Michelle Langelier and Marie-Claude Paquette were appointed to three-year terms in Montreal. Walter Kawun was appointed to a three-year term in Toronto. Renee Miller and Michal Mivasair were appointed to three-year terms in Vancouver. These appointments were made in accordance with the IRB merit-based appointment process.
Prior to his appointment to the Board, Mr. Bissonnette was a consultant for the Canadian International Development Agency. He also worked as Resident Director of the Canada-China Senior Judges Training Project, as Director of Research and Policy at the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development, as a lecturer in Law and Anthropology (Montreal, Ottawa, Paris) and as a member of both the Human Rights Tribunal of Quebec and the Human Rights Commission of Quebec. Mr. Bissonnette received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Law as well as his Master of Arts degree in Anthropology from the University of Montreal.
Prior to his appointment to the Board, Mr. Byczak was a refugee protection officer with the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. He also held several positions with Citizenship and Immigration Canada. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Sir George Williams University and his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Quebec in Montreal.
Prior to her appointment to the Board, Ms. Kean was Ombudsman with the Jewish Eldercare Centre in Montreal, Quebec. She has 12 years of legal experience with a specialization in medical/health law as well as general litigation and corporate/commercial practice. Ms. Kean has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 1993 and the Ontario Bar since 2005. She received her Bachelor of Civil Law and her Master of Medical Law from the University of Sherbrooke.
Prior to her appointment to the Board, Ms. Langelier practised immigration and refugee law in Montreal. She has represented clients before all three divisions of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Ms. Langelier received her Bachelor of Laws from Laval University. She has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 1992.
Prior to her appointment to the Board, Ms. Paquette practised law with the Immigration Division of the Department of Justice. She also worked as a refugee protection officer with the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada and began her career with her own private practice, working exclusively in refugee and immigration law. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Law from Carleton University and her Bachelor of Laws from the University of Montreal.
Prior to his appointment to the Board, Mr. Kawun worked as a refugee protection officer, a triage officer and an acting operations services manager with the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. He received his Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Economics and a Specialist Designation in both Commerce and Finance from the University of Toronto.
Prior to her appointment to the Board, Ms. Miller was Vice-Chair with the Workers Compensation Appeal Tribunal. She worked as a barrister and solicitor as a sole practitioner and partner specializing in Immigration Law. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alberta and her Bachelor of Laws from the Osgoode Hall Law School, York University.
Prior to her appointment to the Board, Ms. Mivasair was a tribunal member with the Employment and Assistance Appeal Tribunal and Tribunal Chair with the Property Assessment Review Panel. She also had her own private practice, specializing in Arbitration and Mediation. Ms. Mivasair received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University, her certificate in Conflict Resolution from the Justice Institute in Vancouver and her Juris Doctorate degree from New York University Law School.
Created in 1989, the IRB is an independent administrative tribunal that reports to Parliament through the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. The Board has three divisions – the Refugee Protection Division, the Immigration Appeal Division and the Immigration Division. The IRB determines refugee protection claims made in Canada, hears immigration appeals, and conducts admissibility hearings and detention reviews.
