Federal Courts Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. F-7)

Marginal note:Extraordinary remedies, federal tribunals

• 18. (1) Subject to section 28, the Federal Court has exclusive original jurisdiction

  • (a) to issue an injunction, writ of certiorari, writ of prohibition, writ of mandamus or writ of quo warranto, or grant declaratory relief, against any federal board, commission or other tribunal; and

  • (b) to hear and determine any application or other proceeding for relief in the nature of relief contemplated by paragraph (a), including any proceeding brought against the Attorney General of Canada, to obtain relief against a federal board, commission or other tribunal.

• Marginal note:Extraordinary remedies, members of Canadian Forces

  (2) The Federal Court has exclusive original jurisdiction to hear and determine every application for a writ of habeas corpus ad subjiciendum, writ of certiorari, writ of prohibition or writ of mandamus in relation to any member of the Canadian Forces serving outside Canada.

• Marginal note:Remedies to be obtained on application

  (3) The remedies provided for in subsections (1) and (2) may be obtained only on an application for judicial review made under section 18.1.

Marginal note:Application for judicial review

• 18.1 (1) An application for judicial review may be made by the Attorney General of Canada or by anyone directly affected by the matter in respect of which relief is sought.

• Marginal note:Time limitation

  (2) An application for judicial review in respect of a decision or an order of a federal board, commission or other tribunal shall be made within 30 days after the time the decision or order was first communicated by the federal board, commission or other tribunal to the office of the Deputy Attorney General of Canada or to the party directly affected by it, or within any further time that a judge of the Federal Court may fix or allow before or after the end of those 30 days.

• Marginal note:Powers of Federal Court

  (3) On an application for judicial review, the Federal Court may

  • (a) order a federal board, commission or other tribunal to do any act or thing it has unlawfully failed or refused to do or has unreasonably delayed in doing; or

  • (b) declare invalid or unlawful, or quash, set aside or set aside and refer back for determination in accordance with such directions as it considers to be appropriate, prohibit or restrain, a decision, order, act or proceeding of a federal board, commission or other tribunal.

• Marginal note:Grounds of review

  (4) The Federal Court may grant relief under subsection (3) if it is satisfied that the federal board, commission or other tribunal

  • (a) acted without jurisdiction, acted beyond its jurisdiction or refused to exercise its jurisdiction;

  • (b) failed to observe a principle of natural justice, procedural fairness or other procedure that it was required by law to observe;

  • (c) erred in law in making a decision or an order, whether or not the error appears on the face of the record;

  • (d) based its decision or order on an erroneous finding of fact that it made in a perverse or capricious manner or without regard for the material before it;

  • (e) acted, or failed to act, by reason of fraud or perjured evidence; or

  • (f) acted in any other way that was contrary to law.

• Marginal note:Defect in form or technical irregularity

  (5) If the sole ground for relief established on an application for judicial review is a defect in form or a technical irregularity, the Federal Court may

  • (a) refuse the relief if it finds that no substantial wrong or miscarriage of justice has occurred; and

  • (b) in the case of a defect in form or a technical irregularity in a decision or an order, make an order validating the decision or order, to have effect from any time and on any terms that it considers appropriate.