The Public Interest and Innovation Committee (formerly Advocacy and Innovation Committee) is a new standing committee of SOAR. Its terms of reference are as follows:
Identify emerging public interest issues and innovative ideas of relevance to the administrative justice community.
Make recommendations for how SOAR can best pursue or respond to issues and ideas, and advocate on behalf of the SOAR membership on matters of concern to the membership.
Create and maintain processes for the active engagement of the SOAR membership in the work of the Committee.
Foster working relationships with other organizations to develop partnerships on public interest issues of concern to the administrative justice community.
In early 2015, the Committee embarked on a project which lead to a statement of principles on re-appointments for members of adjudicative tribunals. The first phase of this project consisted of a study of the impact of the “ten-year cap” on appointments. This research is now completed and the report, along with appendix, about the impact of the cap on Tribunals, members and the public is now available on our website. The second phase of the project will involve research into how other jurisdictions deal with the issue of term limits on appointments to adjudicative tribunals.
The Committee members, as of January 2023, are:
Members
Maureen Carter-Whitney, Committee Chair - Immigration and Refugee Board
Heather Gibbs, Immigration and Refugee Board
Michael Huynh- The College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants
Keith Cooper - Horse Racing Appeals Tribunal
Anne Gottleib- Condominium Authority Tribunal
Josephine Racioppo -Tribunals Ontario
Romona Gananathan- Tribunals Ontario
Rosemarie McCutcheon - Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal
Ex-Officio Member
Daphne Simon- SOAR Executive Director
If you are interested in becoming involved in the work of the Committee or have suggestions for further projects that the Committee could undertake, please consider volunteering by contacting our Executive Director, Daphne Simon, at daphne@soar.on.ca.