Judge Sandhu
The UNAT decided that mistakes in the way the summary dismissal decision was communicated to the appellant did not affect the fact that the real decision had ultimately been taken by the competent person in the Commissioner-General and not by any delegated authority.
It was undisputed that Mr. Mohammad was not afforded the opportunity to comment on the additional evidence produced against him after the re-opening of the investigation (two interviews of student B¡¯s mother and student B). However, neither in his appeal nor in his initial application to the UNRWA DT did he point out any...
UNAT considered an appeal by Mr. Al Othman against UNRWA Judgment No. UNRWA/DT/2020/073. It also considered a cross-appeal by the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, to the extent that the Judgment awarded Mr. Al Othman compensation.
UNAT held that there was clear and convincing evidence established that Mr. Al Othman committed the alleged offences. The UNRWA DT conclusions were accurate, based on evidence on record and common knowledge and UNAT found no reason to differ from them. UNAT shared the UNRWA DT¡¯s view that the only reasonable conclusion available to the trial Judge, resulting from the...
The UNAT first concluded that the UNDT erred by failing to specify whether the alleged misconduct of sexual exploitation had been established to the required evidentiary standard of clear and convincing evidence. Second, the UNAT held that the UNDT had erred in concluding that the victim was a vulnerable person, that Mr. Stefan was aware of her vulnerability, and that he sexually exploited her vulnerability. The UNAT held that the UNDT erred when it made this finding without any independent or medical evidence, and that the UNDT had relied on its own Internet research regarding various...
The UNAT held that the Dispute Tribunal erred in law and exceeded its jurisdiction in finding that Mr. Suarez Liste be granted additional steps upon initial appointment contrary to the Grading Guidelines for language staff. The UNDT improperly broadened the definition and criteria of ¡°relevant work experience¡± in the Grading Guidelines to include additional academic qualifications. By doing so, the UNDT had created a new factor or criterion in the application of the Grading Guidelines, e.g., consideration of a Ph.D. in the step-in-grade calculation. The UNAT held that this was a policy...
The UNAT considered an appeal by the participant in the Fund.
The UNAT found that the facts suggest that the participant¡¯s withdrawal settlement funds were paid into a bank account which had not been opened by him. At the same time, there were unanswered questions as to how the participant had bank statements and cancelled cheques from this account if he had not opened it. In addition, given the mismatch between the participant¡¯s name and the name of the holder of the bank account, there was no explanation as to why the wire transfer had been allowed to proceed and had not been rejected.
The...
The UNAT held that the Appellant has failed to discharge her burden and has not demonstrated that the UNRWA DT committed any of the errors outlined in Article 2(1) of the UNAT Statute. It concluded that the Appellant relitigated arguments that failed before the UNRWA Dispute Tribunal and expressed her general disagreement with the impugned Judgment.
The UNAT held that the contested decision was a valid and lawful exercise of the Agency¡¯s discretion. It found that the Agency reviewed and considered the Appellant¡¯s request for telecommuting in accordance with the legal framework, i.e. Area...
En ce qui concerne l'appel par le Secr¨¦taire g¨¦n¨¦ral de la conclusion de l'UNDT que l'inconduite en vertu du chef 2 n'a pas ¨¦t¨¦ ¨¦tablie, l'UNAT a jug¨¦ que l'UNDT ne s'est pas tromp¨¦ en fait, ce qui a entra?n¨¦ une d¨¦cision manifestement d¨¦raisonnable. Les messages envoy¨¦s par le membre du personnel ¨¤ son voisin ¨¦taient des suggestions et des d¨¦clarations ¨¤ une personne qui n'¨¦tait pas t¨¦moin ¨¤ l'¨¦poque. Le membre du personnel n'¨¦tait pas sous et ne soup?onnait pas qu'il serait probablement sous une enqu¨ºte au moment o¨´ il a envoy¨¦ les messages.
Le voisin les a trouv¨¦ appropri¨¦s et ne se...
Unat a jug¨¦ que l'UNRWA DT exer?ait son pouvoir discr¨¦tionnaire pour poursuivre le jugement sommaire l¨¦galement et de mani¨¨re appropri¨¦e. Unat a jug¨¦ que l'UNRWA DT avait commis une erreur lorsqu'elle a d¨¦cid¨¦ que la demande de l'appelant n'¨¦tait pas ¨¤ recevoir Ratione Materiae. UNAT a not¨¦ que l'affaire ¨¦tait presque identique ¨¤ Oussama Abed & Eman Abed c. Commissaire g¨¦n¨¦ral de l'Agence des Nations Unies pour Relief and Works pour les r¨¦fugi¨¦s palestiniens du Proche-Orient (jugement n ¡ã 2022-UNAT-1297). Conform¨¦ment ¨¤ ce jugement, Unat a jug¨¦ que le placement d'une lettre rappelant ¨¤ l...
L'UNAT a jug¨¦ que l'attribution pour compensation au lieu de l'annulation comprenait le co?t suppl¨¦mentaire encouru par le membre du personnel dans le maintien de deux m¨¦nages ¨¤ la suite de la d¨¦cision contest¨¦e. L'UNAT a constat¨¦ que, compte tenu de la demande d'interpr¨¦tation, il ¨¦tait raisonnable que l'administration attende l'interpr¨¦tation du Tribunal d'appel. Cependant, le secr¨¦taire g¨¦n¨¦ral est condamn¨¦ ¨¤ ex¨¦cuter pleinement le jugement initial et ¨¤ payer le membre du personnel de 450 USD dans les 30 jours civils ¨¤ compter de la d¨¦livrance du jugement actuel. L'UNAT a not¨¦ que, ¨¦tant...
L'UNAT a rejet¨¦ l'appel. L'UNAT a jug¨¦ que l¡¯UNDT avait correctement trouv¨¦ la demande de la demande de Mme Raschdorf en ce qui concerne la d¨¦cision non renouvelable et la d¨¦cision de l¡¯ABCC, la d¨¦cision de Mme Raschdorf ¨¤ demander l¡¯¨¦valuation de la gestion. L'UNAT a constat¨¦ que contrairement ¨¤ l'affirmation de Mme Raschdorf, la d¨¦cision non renouvelable n'a pas ¨¦t¨¦ prise apr¨¨s les conseils d'un organe technique. En ce qui concerne la d¨¦cision de l'ABCC quant ¨¤ savoir si la r¨¦clamation a ¨¦t¨¦ d¨¦rang¨¦e, l'UNAT a constat¨¦ que cette d¨¦cision n'¨¦tait pas fond¨¦e sur une consid¨¦ration d'une...
L'UNAT a jug¨¦ que le Tribunal des diff¨¦rends a raisonn¨¦ ¨¤ juste titre qu'en vertu du cadre disciplinaire de l'UNFPA, l'¨¦valuation des faits d'inconduite n'est pas exclusive ¨¤ l'OAIS, mais que le directeur du D¨¦partement des ressources humaines (directeur / DHR) doit ¨¦galement analyser les ¨¦l¨¦ments de preuve, et une telle analyse pourrait conduire le DHR ¨¤ une conclusion diff¨¦rente de celle de l'OAIS. En cons¨¦quence, dans ce cas, l'UNAT a constat¨¦ que l'administration de l'UNFPA avait l'autorit¨¦ ou le locus standi pour proc¨¦der ¨¤ un processus disciplinaire m¨ºme en l'absence d'une conclusion d...
The UNAT dismissed the appeal. The UNAT held that the UNDT correctly found not receivable Ms. Raschdorf's application with respect to the non-renewal decision and the ABCC¡¯s decision given Ms. Raschdorf's failure to request management evaluation. The UNAT found that contrary to Ms. Raschdorf's contention, the non-renewal decision was not taken subsequent to advice from a technical body. As to the ABCC's decision on whether the claim was time-barred, the UNAT found that that decision was not based on a consideration of a medical evaluation but was concerned with the timeliness of the...
The UNAT held that the Dispute Tribunal correctly reasoned that under the UNFPA Disciplinary Framework, the assessment of the facts of misconduct is not exclusive to OAIS, but that the Director of the Department of Human Resources (Director/DHR) must also analyze the evidence, and such analysis could lead DHR to a different conclusion than that of OAIS. Accordingly, in this case, the UNAT found that the UNFPA Administration had the authority or locus standi to proceed with a disciplinary process even in the absence of a finding of misconduct by OAIS. The UNAT further held that the UNFPA...
With respect to the Secretary-General's appeal of the UNDT finding that misconduct under Count 2 was not established, the UNAT held that the UNDT did not err in fact, resulting in a manifestly unreasonable decision. Messages sent by the staff member to his neighbour were suggestions and statements to a person who was not a witness at the time. The staff member was not under and did not suspect he would likely be under an investigation at the time he sent the messages. The neighbour found them appropriate and did not feel ¡°influenced¡± by them.
The UNAT also denied the Secretary-General¡¯s...
UNAT held that UNRWA DT exercised its discretion to proceed by summary judgment lawfully and appropriately.
UNAT held that the UNRWA DT erred when it decided that the Appellant¡¯s application was not receivable ratione materiae. UNAT noted that the case was almost identical to Osama Abed & Eman Abed v. Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (Judgment No. 2022-UNAT-1297). Consistent with this Judgment, UNAT held that the placement of a letter reminding the Appellant of her obligation to behave at all times in a manner...
The UNAT held that the award for compensation in lieu of rescission included the additional cost incurred by the staff member in maintaining two households as a result of the contested decision.
The UNAT found that, given the application for interpretation, it was reasonable for the Administration to await the Appeals Tribunal¡¯s interpretation. However, the Secretary-General is ordered to fully execute the original Judgment and pay to the staff member USD 450 within 30 calendar days from the issuance of the current judgment.
The UNAT noted that, given the delay in execution and in the...
Unat a not¨¦ que la seule question en appel ¨¦tait la question de l'indemnisation appropri¨¦e pour la d¨¦cision contest¨¦e ill¨¦gale. Unat a constat¨¦ que le UNT a constat¨¦ de mani¨¨re appropri¨¦e que la r¨¦mun¨¦ration demand¨¦e d'un montant de deux ans de salaire de base net ¨¦tait injustifi¨¦e car elle d¨¦passerait les ¨¦moluments auxquels il aurait ¨¦t¨¦ intitul¨¦ absent de la r¨¦siliation ill¨¦gale. Unat n'a trouv¨¦ aucun m¨¦rite dans l'affirmation de M. Kilauri selon laquelle le UNDT n'avait pas pris en compte la nature et le niveau du poste qu'il occupait auparavant et les chances de renouvellement au-del¨¤ de...
UNAT noted that the only issue on appeal was the issue of appropriate compensation for the unlawful contested decision. UNAT found that the UNDT appropriately found that the requested compensation in the amount of two years¡¯ net base salary was unwarranted as it would exceed the emoluments to which he would have been entitled absent the unlawful termination. UNAT found no merit in Mr. Kilauri¡¯s contention that the UNDT failed to consider the nature and level of the post he formerly occupied and the chances of renewal beyond the expiry of his fixed-term contract but for his unlawful...
M. Pierre a d¨¦pos¨¦ un appel. Unat n'a trouv¨¦ aucune erreur dans la conclusion du Tribunal des diff¨¦rends selon laquelle la demande n'¨¦tait pas ¨¤ recevoir. La d¨¦cision contest¨¦e n¡¯a pas eu de cons¨¦quences juridiques affectant n¨¦gativement les termes et conditions de la nomination de M. Pierre et, par cons¨¦quent, il n¡¯y avait pas de d¨¦cision administrative en appel. UNAT ¨¦tait convaincu que l'UNDT a correctement soutenu que, puisque M. Pierre n'avait aucune esp¨¦rance de renouvellement de sa nomination ¨¤ terme, les renouvellements ¨¤ court terme ¨¦taient consid¨¦r¨¦s comme prima facie en sa faveur. L...
Mr. Pierre filed an appeal. UNAT found no error in the Dispute Tribunal's conclusion that the application was not receivable. The contested decision did not have legal consequences adversely affecting the terms and conditions of Mr. Pierre¡¯s appointment and therefore, there was no appealable administrative decision. UNAT was satisfied that the UNDT correctly held that since Mr. Pierre had no expectancy of renewal of his fixed-term appointment, the short-term renewals were considered prima facie in his favour. UNAT also found that Mr. Pierre had not provided sufficient evidence that the...