Federal Court: Federal Court Of Canada

Federal Court Of Appeal Dept: In the first six months of this year, the Federal Court dealt with more than 5,000 cases. Of those, more than 80 per cent involved immigration or refugee matters - the vast majority asking the court to review decisions by Immigration and Refugee Board panels or Citizenship and Immigration Canada officers, according to Montreal Gazette. The Federal Court came into being in 1971 as a successor to the nearly century-old Exchequer Court of Canada. Initially, it included the Federal Court of Appeal, but the two were divided into separate bodies in 2003 and oTTAWA - Unlike the better-known Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Canada's work impinges on Canadians' consciousness infrequently. If you're an immigration or refugee claimant, however, no court in the country is more important. For some, it literally holds their fate in its judicial hands. The court also reviews actions by most federal offices, boards, commissions and tribunals. Among other things, it hears challenges of decisions involving elections, official languages, access to information, privacy, passports, intellectual property rights, aeronautics, transportation, oceans and fisheries, public works and First Nations. As well, it has responsibility for reviewing security certificates, warrant requests and applications regarding public disclosure of evidence in matters of national security. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.