A very common issue that arises in administrative law: more than one body can hear, rule and decide on a matter. The follow up issue arises: which body should run that process. Further, once you have an answer from one body, does that preclude another body from taking a look at the matter all over again. The labour lawyers worked this one out with Weber and Parry Sound several years ago.

We now have the latest word on this complicated issue from the BC Court of Appeal in the context of human rights adjudication and workers compensation disability reviews in Workers’ Compensation Board v. British Columbia (Human Rights Tribunal) , 2010 BCCA 77.

Briefly, and I emphasize briefly, as this is a very complicated series of arguments that underlie the decision, the human rights tribunal does get to hear a matter despite the fact that the matter has been canvassed by another tribunal. Res judicata, estoppels, and abuse of process arguments don’t prevent the tribunal from taking a look at the matter.