The complaint was screened out after a review determined that the allegations fell outside the jurisdiction of the member complaints process. The Complainant, who was counsel for a refugee claimant, alleged that the Member used authoritative language throughout the hearing and adjourned the hearing early.
The Ombudsperson reviewed the complaint and recommended to the Chairperson that the allegations were not related to conduct because management of a hearing is part of a member's adjudicative independence. The Chairperson's decision was to dismiss the allegations as they fell outside the scope of the Procedures for Making a Complaint about a Member.