����AV

The UNDT found that the Applicant was not afforded proper priority consideration for the CISS post under the framework established by staff rule 9.6(e). He, therefore, lost a fair chance of being selected for the CISS post. The UNDT also found that the decision not to select the Applicant was vitiated by the arbitrary and inconsistent application of the requirement of “Headquarters experience”. The Tribunal finds that the Applicant has already mitigated his losses for some part of the relevant period and received compensation for the rest of the lost earnings as part of Lemonnier UNDT/2016/186...

As the Appeals Tribunal stated in Bowen 2011-UNAT-183, the Applicant’s termination indemnity should be taken into account when awarding compensation. This is consistent with the Appeals Tribunal’s pronouncement in Warren 2010-UNAT-059 that “the very purpose of compensation is to place the staff member in the same position he or she would have been in had the Organization complied with its contractual obligations”. Therefore, as both the termination indemnity and the payment in lieu of notice stemmed from the improper termination of the Applicant’s appointment, these sums shall be deducted from...

The UNDT found that the Applicant was not afforded proper priority consideration for the DM post under the framework established by staff rules 9.6(e) and 13.1(d). Tribunal finds that, had the Applicant been afforded proper consideration for the DM post as a displaced permanent staff member, he would have had fifty per cent chance of being selected. The UNDT found that there was insufficient evidence to establish that the selection process was tainted by bias against the Applicant. Having considered relevant factors—namely, that (i) the Applicant lost a fifty per cent chance of being selected...

The UNDT found that the Administration failed to fully honour the material provisions of staff rule 13.1 with respect to the Applicant. The UNDT found that the Organization committed material irregularities and failed to act fully in compliance with the requirements of staff rule 13.1(d) and (e) and 9(6)(e) The onus was on the Administration to carry out a matching exercise and find a suitable post for the Applicant, who was a permanent staff member, prior to opening the vacancy to others. The UNDT found that the Applicant’s termination was unlawful because he did not receive proper...

UNDT held that the non-renewal of the Applicant’s contract was unlawful and that this decision was made in breach of his due process rights. UNDT held that the Panel erred when it recommended that the Applicant’s contract should not be renewed. UNDT noted that the Administrative Instruction ST/AI/2010/5 does not grant a rebuttal panel the power to make recommendations on the extension or termination of a staff member’s contract. UNDT also noted that not all procedural errors are prejudicial and not all procedural errors violate a party’s due process rights, and it behooves the Tribunal to...

The Tribunal found that the letter of 9 June 2015 constitutes, in essence, merely the implementation of the earlier decision to separate the Applicant from the Organization for reason of post abolition. The termination of the Applicant’s appointment was already adjudicated by Judgment Seyfollahzadeh UNDT/2015/037, affirmed by the Appeals Tribunal in its Judgment Seyfollahzadeh 2016-UNAT-620. The Tribunal thus found that the matter was res judicata, and rejected the application. Res judicata: If a termination letter constitutes the mere implementation of an earlier decision to terminate the...

Termination of permanent appointment in case of post abolition: A decision to terminate a permanent appointment of a General Service staff member, taken on the basis of a decision by the General Assembly to abolish all posts in the category of that encumbered by the Applicant is legal, provided that no post at the mission remains for which the Applicant could potentially have been considered.Staff consultation: An essential element of consultation is that each party have the opportunity to make the other party aware of its views. However, consultations are not negotiations and it is not...

Termination of permanent appointment in case of post abolition: A decision to terminate a permanent appointment of a General Service staff member, taken on the basis of a decision by the General Assembly to abolish all posts in the category of that encumbered by the Applicant is legal, provided that no post at the mission remains for which the Applicant could potentially have been considered.Staff consultation: An essential element of consultation is that each party have the opportunity to make the other party aware of its views. However, consultations are not negotiations and it is not...

Standard of proof in disciplinary cases - In disciplinary proceedings it is well settled now that the evidence must be clear and convincing and that would include identification evidence. Evidence of misconduct must be clear and convincing. Findings of fact by the trial judge - As a trier of facts, a first instance judge has the means and power to assess the veracity and accuracy of a witness. The findings of fact of a trial judge should rarely be reversed on appeal unless the findings are so perverse that no reasonable person would have come to the conclusions reached on the facts by the...

In the instant case, the Respondent showed that three available P-5 posts were identified as suitable to the Applicant’s qualifications and experience and that he was invited to apply for them for consideration. If the Applicant had put a foot in the door by applying to any of them, then the next stage would have been for the Tribunal to examine whether UNFPA selected a non-permanent staff member above the qualified Applicant thus denying the Applicant of the protections afforded him by staff rules 9.6(e) and 13(d). Good faith efforts on both sides means that both parties cooperate to identify...