Source: https://www.worksafebc.com/en/law-policy/occupational-health-safety/searchable-ohs-regulation/workers-compensation-act/part-7-appeals-to-appeal-tribunal
Timestamp: 2020-05-28 16:09:07
Document Index: 568868143

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 7', 'art 7', 'art 6', 'art 2', 'art 7', 'art 4', 'art 5', 'art 6', 'art 8', 'art 9', 'art 10', 'art 6', 'art 7', 'art 2', 'art 2']

Division 1 – Appeal Tribunal
277 Definitions
278 Appeal tribunal and membership
279 End of appointment to appeal tribunal
280 Role of appeal tribunal chair
281 Delegation of chair's powers and duties
282 Appeal tribunal staff
283 Compensation and expenses of appeal tribunal members
284 Finances for appeal tribunal administration and operation
285 Appeal panels
286 Annual report to minister
Division 2 – Appeal Rights
287 Definitions in relation to appeals
288 Review decisions that may be appealed
289 Other Board decisions that may be appealed
290 Who may appeal: matters related to OHS provisions
291 Who may appeal: matters related to compensation provisions
292 How to appeal
293 Time limit for appeal
294 General rule: appeal does not stay decision
Division 3 – Appeal Procedure
295 Board provision of policies and records
296 Application of Administrative Tribunals Act to appeal tribunal
297 Appeal tribunal proceedings
298 Evidence admissible in appeal tribunal proceedings
299 Witnesses and production of information
300 Deemed employer
301 Health professional assistance to appeal tribunal
302 Health professional assistance in specific cases
303 Appeal tribunal decision making
304 Application of policies of the board of directors
305 Suspension of appeal proceedings pending Board decision
306 Decision on appeal
307 Amendment to final decision
308 Exclusive jurisdiction of appeal tribunal
309 Appeal tribunal decision or action final
310 Reconsideration of appeal tribunal decision
311 Request for appeal tribunal certification to court
312 Payment of compensation following appeal
313 Effect of appeal in relation to employer payment obligations
314 Confidentiality obligations
315 Regulations respecting this Part
Part 7 Division 1 - Appeal Tribunal
"chair" means the chair of the appeal tribunal appointed under section 278(2)(a);
"extraordinary member" means a member of the appeal tribunal appointed under section 278(2)(c);
"health professional" means a medical practitioner, a person entitled to practise medicine under the laws of another jurisdiction or any other person with prescribed qualifications;
"members of the appeal tribunal" means the chair, vice chairs and extraordinary members appointed under section 278(2) and temporary substitute members appointed under section 278(9);
"vice chair" means a vice chair of the appeal tribunal appointed under section 278(2)(b).
(1) The Workers' Compensation Appeal Tribunal is continued.
(5) An extraordinary member holds office for the period required to discharge the person's duties as a member of a panel appointed by the chair under section 285(5)(b) or (6)(b) [appointment of extraordinary members].
(7) Before beginning their duties, members of the appeal tribunal must take an oath of office in the form and manner prescribed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.
(8) The Labour Relations Code and the Public Service Labour Relations Act do not apply to members or officers of the appeal tribunal.
(9) Despite subsections (3) to (5), if a member of the appeal tribunal is absent or incapacitated for an extended period or expects to be absent for an extended period,
(10) The appointment of a person to replace a member under subsection (9) is not affected by the member returning to less than full duty.
(1) A member of the appeal tribunal may resign at any time by giving written notice to the chair or, in the case of the chair, to the minister.
(2) If a member resigns or the member's appointment expires, the chair may authorize that person to continue to exercise powers as a member of the appeal tribunal in any appeal in which that individual had jurisdiction immediately before the end of the person's term.
(1) The chair is responsible for the general operation of the appeal tribunal.
(c) developing a 3-year strategic plan and an annual operations plan for the appeal tribunal;
(d) establishing any forms, practices and procedures required for the efficient and cost-effective conduct of appeals to the appeal tribunal, including
(h) establishing a list of health professionals for the purposes of section 301 [health professional assistance to appeal tribunal];
(4) The chair may designate another member of the appeal tribunal to act in the chair's place during the chair's temporary absence, and while acting in the chair's place the designated member has the power and authority of the chair.
(5) The chair must attend not fewer than 4 meetings of the board of directors each calendar year to exchange information on matters of common interest and importance to the workers' compensation system.
(1) Subject to section 304(9) [chair authority in relation to policies of the board of directors], the chair may delegate in writing to another member of the appeal tribunal, or to an officer of the appeal tribunal, a power or duty of the chair and may impose limitations or conditions on the exercise of that power or performance of that duty.
(2) If the chair has delegated a power or duty of the chair and subsequently ceases to hold office, the delegation continues in effect
(1) Employees necessary to exercise the powers and perform the duties of the appeal tribunal may be appointed under the Public Service Act.
(3) Despite the Public Service Act, the appeal tribunal may engage or retain consultants and contractors that the appeal tribunal considers necessary to exercise the tribunal's powers and perform its duties, and may determine the functions and remuneration of those consultants and contractors.
(1) In accordance with general directives of the Treasury Board, members must be reimbursed for reasonable travelling and out-of-pocket expenses necessarily incurred in carrying out their duties.
(3) For the purposes of subsection (2), the Treasury Board may specify different rates of remuneration for different classes of members.
(1) All money required for the administration and operation of the appeal tribunal must be paid by the government, but on request of the minister the Board must reimburse the government for all amounts so paid.
(2) On receiving a request under subsection (1), the Board must pay the amount requested to the Minister of Finance out of the accident fund.
(1) All appeals to the appeal tribunal must be heard by panels appointed under this section.
(5) If the chair determines that a matter under appeal requires consideration by a 3-member panel, the chair may appoint a panel with either of the following memberships:
(7) If a panel is constituted under subsection (6)(b),
(9) If a panel consists of more than one member, the decision of the majority is the appeal tribunal's decision but, if there is no majority, the decision of the presiding member is the appeal tribunal's decision.
(1) On or before March 25 of each year, the chair must make a report to the minister respecting the appeal tribunal's operations for the preceding calendar year.
(2) The minister may require the annual report referred to in subsection (1) to address specified matters and to be in a specified form.
Part 7 Division 2 - Appeal Rights
"review decision" means a decision of a review officer that may be appealed under section 288 [review decisions that may be appealed];
(c) a person to whom compensation provisions apply as if the person were a worker.
(1) Subject to subsection (2), a final decision made by a review officer in a review under Part 6 [Review of Board Decisions], including a decision declining to conduct a review under that Part, may be appealed to the appeal tribunal.
(b) a decision respecting an order under Part 2 [Occupational Health and Safety], other than any of the following orders:
(i) an order relied on to impose an administrative penalty under section 95(1) [administrative penalties - higher maximum amount];
(ii) an order imposing an administrative penalty under section 95(1);
(iii) an order under section 96 [certificates issued under OHS provisions] to cancel or suspend a certificate;
(c) a decision respecting matters referred to in section 155 [vocational rehabilitation];
(d) a decision respecting the application under section 195(1) [compensation for permanent partial disability] of rating schedules compiled under subsection (3) of that section if the specified percentage of impairment has no range or has a range that is not greater than 5%;
(e) a decision respecting commutations under section 230 [commutation of lump sum payment].
(1) The following may be appealed to the appeal tribunal:
(a) a determination or order under section 50 [response to worker complaint respecting prohibited action];
(b) a refusal to make an order under that section;
(c) a cancellation of an order under that section.
(2) A decision to reopen or not to reopen a matter on an application under section 125 [recurrence of injury or significant change in medical condition] may be appealed to the appeal tribunal.
(1) In relation to a review officer decision respecting a matter referred to in section 268(1)(a) [reviews in relation to OHS provisions], any of the following who is directly affected by the decision may appeal that decision:
(c) an employer as defined in section 13 [definitions in relation to OHS provisions];
(2) In relation to a decision or order referred to in section 289(1) [response to worker complaint respecting prohibited action], any of the following who is directly affected by the decision or order may appeal that decision or order:
(b) an employer as defined in section 13;
(c) a union as defined in section 13.
(1) In relation to a review decision respecting a matter referred to in section 268(1)(b) [compensation or rehabilitation matters], any of the following who is directly affected by the decision may appeal that decision:
(2) In relation to a review decision respecting a matter referred to in section 268(1)(c) [employer assessment, classification, payments and penalties], an employer or independent operator who is directly affected by the decision may appeal that decision.
(3) In relation to a decision referred to in section 289(2) [decision in relation to an application under section 125], a worker or employer who is directly affected by the decision may appeal that decision.
(4) In this section, "employer" means the following:
(a) an employer as defined in section 1;
(b) a person who is deemed to be an employer under the compensation provisions or the regulations under those provisions;
(c) the owner and the master of a fishing vessel for which there is crew to whom the compensation provisions apply as if the crew were workers.
(1) A person authorized under section 290 or 291 to appeal a particular decision or order may appeal the decision or order by filing a notice of appeal with the appeal tribunal.
(e) include the name, address and telephone number of the appellant,
(f) if the appellant has an agent to act on the appellant's behalf in respect of the appeal, include the name of the agent and a telephone number at which the agent may be contacted during regular business hours,
(g) include an address for delivery of any notices in respect of the appeal, and
(h) be signed by the appellant or the appellant's agent.
(3) If a notice of appeal is deficient, the appeal tribunal may allow a reasonable period within which the notice may be corrected.
(1) A notice of appeal respecting a decision referred to in section 288 [review decisions that may be appealed] must be filed within 30 days after the decision being appealed was made.
(2) A notice of appeal respecting a decision referred to in section 289 [other Board decisions that may be appealed] must be filed within 90 days after the decision or order being appealed was made.
(3) The chair may extend the time to file a notice of appeal under this section, including making an extension after the time to file has expired, if this is done on application and the chair is satisfied that
(a) special circumstances existed that preclude or precluded the filing of a notice of appeal within the applicable time period required by subsection (1) or (2), and
Unless the appeal tribunal orders otherwise, the filing of a notice of appeal under section 292 does not operate as a stay or affect the operation of the decision or order under appeal.
Part 7 Division 3 - Appeal Procedure
(1) The Board must provide the appeal tribunal with copies of all current policies of the board of directors.
(3) As soon as practicable after being given notice under subsection (2), the Board must provide the appeal tribunal and the parties to the appeal with a copy of the Board's records respecting the matter under appeal.
(4) On request of the appeal tribunal and as soon as practicable, the Board must advise the appeal tribunal of any policy of the board of directors that is applicable to the matter under appeal.
(5) As soon as practicable after receiving advice under subsection (4), the appeal tribunal must advise the parties to the appeal of any policy of the board of directors that the Board has advised the appeal tribunal is applicable to the matter under appeal.
The following provisions of the Administrative Tribunals Act apply to the appeal tribunal:
(d) the following provisions of Part 4 [Practice and Procedure]:
(i) section 11 [general power to make practice and procedure rules];
(ii) section 13 [practice directives tribunal may make];
(iii) section 14 [general power to make orders];
(iv) section 15 [interim orders];
(viii) section 31 [summary dismissal];
(ix) section 32 [representation of parties to an application];
(x) section 35(1) to (3) [recording tribunal proceedings];
(xi) section 37 [applications involving similar questions];
(xii) section 38 [examination of witnesses];
(xiii) section 42 [discretion to receive evidence in confidence];
(e) the following provisions of Part 5 [Jurisdictions over Legal Questions]:
(ii) section 46.3 [tribunal without jurisdiction to apply the Human Rights Code];
(f) the following provisions of Part 6 [Costs and Sanctions]:
(ii) section 49 [contempt proceeding for uncooperative witness or other person];
(g) section 52 [notice of decision];
(h) Part 8 [Immunities];
(i) Part 9 [Accountability and Judicial Review], other than section 59 [standard of review without privative clause];
(j) the following provisions of Part 10 [Miscellaneous]:
(i) section 60(1)(a), (b) and (g) to (i) and (2) [power to make regulations];
(ii) section 61 [application of Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act].
(1) Subject to any rules, practices or procedures established by the chair, the appeal tribunal may conduct an appeal in the manner it considers necessary, including conducting hearings in writing or orally with the parties present in person, by teleconference or videoconference facilities or by other electronic means.
(a) inquire into the matter under appeal and consider all information obtained;
(b) request the Board to investigate further into a matter relating to a specific appeal and report in writing to the appeal tribunal;
(c) require the parties to the appeal to attend a pre-hearing conference to discuss procedural and substantive issues relating to the conduct of the appeal;
(d) require the parties to the appeal to make a pre-hearing disclosure of their evidence, including requiring the pre-hearing examination of a party on oath or by affidavit;
(e) recommend to the parties to the appeal that an alternate dispute resolution process be used to assist in the resolution of a matter under appeal;
(f) require an employer who is a party to an appeal respecting a matter referred to in section 268(1)(a) [reviews in relation to OHS provisions] to post a notice in the specified form and manner bringing the appeal to the attention of the employees of the employer;
(g) request any person or representative group to participate in an appeal if the tribunal considers that this participation will assist the tribunal to fully consider the merits of the appeal.
(4) If the appeal tribunal refers a matter back to the Board for determination under subsection (3), the appeal tribunal must consider the Board's determination in the context of the appeal and no review of that determination may be requested under section 268 [requests for review].
(5) If a party fails to comply with an order of the appeal tribunal or with the rules of practice and procedure of the appeal tribunal, including any time limits specified for taking any actions, the appeal tribunal may, after giving notice to that party, do one or more of the following:
(b) continue with the appeal and make a decision based on the evidence before the appeal tribunal, with or without providing an opportunity for submissions;
(1) The appeal tribunal may receive and accept information that it considers relevant, necessary and appropriate, whether or not the information would be admissible in a court of law.
(1) At any time before or during a hearing, but before the appeal tribunal's decision, the appeal tribunal may make an order requiring a person
(2) The appeal tribunal may apply to the Supreme Court for an order
(3) On an appeal, the appeal tribunal may cause depositions of witnesses residing in or out of British Columbia to be taken before a person appointed by the appeal tribunal in a similar manner to that prescribed by the Supreme Court Civil Rules for the taking of like depositions in the Supreme Court before a commissioner.
(4) Despite subsections (1) to (3), an officer, employee or contractor of the Board may only be compelled to give evidence or produce records and things that
(5) Despite subsections (1) to (3), a member of the board of directors or an officer, employee or contractor of the Board may not be compelled to give evidence or produce records and things respecting the development or adoption of the policies of the board of directors.
(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), for the purposes of a specific appeal, if the employer has ceased to be an employer within the meaning of the compensation provisions, the appeal tribunal may deem an employers' adviser or an organized group of employers to be the employer.
(3) If, for the purposes of the review under Part 6 [Review of Board Decisions] of a decision respecting a specific matter, an employers' adviser or organized group of employers was deemed to be the employer, the employers' adviser or group, as applicable, is deemed to be the employer for the purposes of appealing the review officer's decision in that matter and participating in the appeal.
(1) The chair must establish a list of health professionals who may be retained to provide independent assistance or advice on the request of the appeal tribunal in an appeal.
(2) The list established by the chair under subsection (1) must not include a person who is employed by the Board.
(3) After taking into account any fee schedule established by the Board for services provided by health professionals, the chair may determine the terms and conditions, including remuneration and reimbursement of expenses, under which a health professional may be retained by the appeal tribunal under section 302.
(1) Subject to subsection (8), if the appeal tribunal determines that independent assistance or advice from a health professional would assist in reaching a decision on an appeal, the presiding member may retain a health professional from the list under section 301 to provide such assistance or advice.
(2) When a health professional is retained under this section, the presiding member must set the terms of reference for the advice, including requiring a written report, setting any time periods for providing the report and specifying any questions to be answered in the report.
(3) If a health professional retained under this section considers it necessary to examine a worker in order to provide the independent assistance or advice set out in the terms of reference under subsection (2), the health professional may require the worker to attend for an examination by giving the worker written notice.
(4) If the worker fails to attend the examination required under subsection (3) or obstructs that examination without reasonable cause, the appeal tribunal may, after giving notice to the worker, do one or more of the following:
(5) The appeal tribunal must give a copy of the health professional's written report to the parties to the appeal.
(6) The parties to an appeal may make submissions to the appeal tribunal in respect of the report provided to them under subsection (5).
(7) The appeal tribunal may suspend an appeal until a health professional's report to be provided under this section in respect of that appeal is received by the appeal tribunal.
(8) Except with the written consent of the parties to the appeal, the appeal tribunal must not retain a health professional to provide independent assistance or advice in respect of a specific appeal if the health professional
(9) Subsection (8) does not prohibit the appeal tribunal in an appeal
(a) from requesting a health professional to provide the appeal tribunal with medical evidence or to clarify or interpret medical evidence previously provided by the health professional, or
(b) from compensating the health professional for the services described in paragraph (a) of this subsection.
(10) Evidence or advice given under subsection (9) is not independent assistance or advice within the meaning of this section.
(1) The appeal tribunal may consider all questions of fact and law arising in an appeal, but is not bound by legal precedent.
(2) The appeal tribunal must make its decision based on the merits and justice of the case, but in doing this the appeal tribunal must apply any policies of the board of directors that are applicable in that case.
(3) Despite subsection (1), the appeal tribunal is bound by a prior decision of a panel appointed under section 285(6) [matters of importance to the workers' compensation system as a whole] unless
(b) after the prior decision, a policy of the board of directors that the panel relied on in the prior decision was repealed, replaced or revised, or
(c) the prior decision has been overruled under subsection (4) of this section.
(4) Despite subsection (3), a panel appointed under section 285(6) may overrule a prior decision of another panel appointed under that section.
(5) If the appeal tribunal is hearing an appeal respecting the compensation of a worker and the evidence supporting different findings on an issue is evenly weighted in that case, the appeal tribunal must resolve that issue in a manner that favours the worker.
(1) The appeal tribunal may refuse to apply a policy of the board of directors only if the policy is so patently unreasonable that it is not capable of being supported by this Act and the regulations under this Act.
(b) suspend, until the board of directors makes a determination under subsection (6), any other appeal proceedings that are pending before the appeal tribunal and that the chair considers to be affected by the same policy.
(6) Within 90 days after receiving a notice under subsection (5)(a), the board of directors must review the policy and determine whether the appeal tribunal may refuse to apply it under subsection (1).
(b) the parties to any appeals that were pending before the appeal tribunal on the date the chair sent a notice under subsection (5)(a) and that were suspended under subsection (5)(b).
(9) The chair must not make a general delegation of the chair's authority under subsection (3), (4) or (5) but, if the chair considers there may be a reasonable apprehension of bias, the chair may delegate this authority to a vice chair or to a panel of the appeal tribunal for the purposes of a specific appeal.
(1) On application of the appellant or on the chair's own initiative, the chair may suspend appeal proceedings if a Board's decision respecting a matter that is related to the appeal is pending.
(2) Within 30 days after the Board's decision referred to in subsection (1) is made, the appellant may request the appeal tribunal to continue the appeal proceedings and, on receiving that request, the appeal tribunal must continue the proceedings.
(4) The chair may extend the time to make a request under subsection (2), including making an extension of the time after the time to make the request has expired, if this is done on application and the chair is satisfied that
(a) special circumstances existed that preclude or precluded the making of a request within the time required by subsection (2), and
(1) On an appeal, the appeal tribunal may confirm, vary or cancel the appealed decision or order.
(2) Despite subsection (1), on an appeal under section 289(2) [other Board decisions that may be appealed], the appeal tribunal may make one of the following decisions:
(a) the matter that is the subject of the application under section 125 must be reopened;
(b) the matter that is the subject of the application under section 125 may not be reopened.
(a) within 180 days after the appeal tribunal receives a copy of the records provided under section 295(3) [Board provision of policies and records] respecting the matter under appeal, or
(6) If the appellant has requested a delay for a reason referred to in subsection (5)(b), the chair may extend the time for not more than 45 days.
(7) If the time is extended under subsection (6), the chair, on application, must extend the time for an additional period not longer than that granted under subsection (6) to allow the other parties to the appeal to submit new evidence or to make additional submissions.
(1) If a party applies or on the appeal tribunal's own initiative, the appeal tribunal may amend a final decision to correct any of the following:
Part 7 Division 4 - General
The appeal tribunal has exclusive jurisdiction to inquire into, hear and determine all those matters and questions of fact, law and discretion arising or required to be determined under this Part and to make any order permitted to be made, including the following:
(a) all appeals from review decisions as permitted under section 288 [review decisions that may be appealed];
(b) all appeals from Board decisions or orders as permitted under section 289 [other Board decisions that may be appealed];
(c) all matters that the appeal tribunal is requested to determine under section 311 [request for certification to court];
(d) all other matters for which a regulation under section 315 [regulations respecting this Part] permits an appeal to the appeal tribunal under this Part.
(1) Any decision or action of the chair or the appeal tribunal under this Part is final and conclusive and is not open to question or review in any court.
(a) a decision in a completed appeal by the appeal tribunal under this Part or under Part 2 [Transitional Provisions] of the Workers Compensation Amendment Act (No. 2), 2002;
(b) a decision in a completed appeal by the appeal division under a former enactment or under Part 2 of the Workers Compensation Amendment Act (No. 2), 2002.
(3) On receiving an application under subsection (2), the chair may refer the decision to the appeal tribunal for reconsideration if the chair is satisfied that the evidence referred to in the application
(1) If a court action is commenced based on
(a) a personal injury,
(c) a disability caused by occupational disease,
(b) a worker's injury, death or disability arose out of, and in the course of, the worker's employment,
(d) an employer was, at the time the cause of action arose, engaged in an industry within the meaning of the compensation provisions.
(3) This Part, except section 306(4) [time for making final decision], applies to proceedings under this section as if the proceedings were an appeal under this Part.
(1) If the appeal tribunal's decision on an appeal requires the payment of compensation, all or part of which was deferred under section 275(3) [payment following review decision], interest must be paid on the deferred amount of that compensation as specified in subsection (2).
(2) Interest payable under subsection (1) must be calculated in accordance with the policies of the board of directors and begins
(a) 41 days after the review officer made the appealed decision, or
(1) The commencement of an appeal under this Part respecting a matter described in section 268(1)(c) [employer assessments, classifications, monetary penalties or compensation payments] does not relieve an employer from paying an amount in respect of a matter that is the subject of the appeal.
(2) If the decision on the appeal requires the refund of an amount to an employer, interest calculated in accordance with the policies of the board of directors must be paid to the employer on that refunded amount.
(1) Members of the appeal tribunal and officers, employees and contractors of the appeal tribunal must not disclose any information obtained by them or of which they have been informed while performing their duties and functions under this Part, except as may be necessary to discharge their obligations under this Part.
(2) If information in a claim file or in any other material respecting the claim of an injured or disabled worker is disclosed for purposes of this Part to a person other than the worker, that person must not disclose the information except as permitted in circumstances described in section 235 [confidentiality - compensation claim information].
(i) decisions or orders under this Act that may be appealed under this Part,
(ii) who may appeal those decisions or orders, and
(iii) classes of decisions for purposes of section 288(2)(a) [review decisions that may not be appealed];
(b) respecting the awarding of costs by the appeal tribunal in an appeal under this Part;
(c) prescribing the circumstances under which the appeal tribunal may order the Board to reimburse the expenses incurred by a party to an appeal under this Part;
(d) prescribing qualifications of health professionals for purposes of section 301 [health professional assistance to appeal tribunal].