Rules for Standing

  1. Commission counsel, who will assist the Commissioner to ensure the orderly conduct of the inquiry, have standing throughout the inquiry.
  2. Commission counsel have the primary responsibility for representing the public interest at the inquiry, including the responsibility to ensure that all matters that bear upon the public interest are brought to the Commissioner's attention.
  3. Individuals, agencies, institutions or any other entities (collectively “persons”) who wish to participate in the inquiry may seek standing by submitting a written application to the Commission with the following information:
    1. the person's name, address, telephone number and email address;
    2. the name of counsel, if any, representing the person, together with counsel's address, telephone number and email address;
    3. the nature of the person's interest in the subject matter of the inquiry, why he or she wishes standing, and how he or she proposes to contribute to the inquiry, having specific regard to the terms of reference; and
    4. the nature and extent of participation sought.
  4. Applications for standing must not exceed ten (10) double-spaced pages in length, unless otherwise ordered by the Commissioner.
  5. Applications for standing must be filed with the Commission in electronic format at participants@cullencommission.ca on or before September 6, 2019, or at the discretion of the Commissioner on any other date.
  6. All applications for standing will be available to the public on the Commission's website unless otherwise ordered by the Commissioner.
  7. The Commissioner will determine the outcome of applications for standing on the basis of written applications, unless the Commissioner determines that an oral hearing is necessary. Any oral hearings on standing will take place on such dates as the Commissioner may determine.
  8. The Commissioner may grant a person standing after considering all of the following:
    1. whether, and to what extent, the person's interests may be affected by the findings of the Commission;
    2. whether the person's participation would further the conduct of the inquiry; and
    3. whether the person's participation would contribute to the fairness of the inquiry (Public Inquiry Act, s. 11(4)).
  9. Those granted standing will be designated as participants before the inquiry.
  10. The Commissioner will determine on what terms and in which parts of the inquiry a participant may participate, and the nature and extent of such participation. The Commissioner retains the discretion to vary a participant's participation or rescind standing.
  11. The Commissioner may direct that a number of applicants share in a single grant of standing.

 

Note: Pursuant to Standing Rule 6, the Commissioner has directed that applications for standing will not be published, but will be summarized in rulings (see links above).