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The UNAT held that the Inspector General¡¯s Office (IGO) and the Administration failed to properly consider relevant factors brought to their attention during the investigation into the staff member's misconduct.  Specifically, they did not considerate the medical context in which the established misconduct occurred, which could have been exculpatory for the staff member.  The UNAT found that they failed to investigate and appreciate the potential effects of the staff member's brain tumour and/or treatment on certain aspects of his interpersonal relations with other staff members.

The UNAT...

The UNAT held that a procedural flaw occurred during the recruitment process due to the inappropriate screening of educational requirements.  Specifically, the UNAT highlighted that the Hiring Manager failed to verify if the candidates¡¯ degrees were in fields related to Supply Chain Management, business administration/management, instead considering all of them eligible in respect of educational requirements. Nevertheless, highlighting that the former staff member was, unlike 16 other candidates, neither recommended for the position, nor rostered for future similar vacancies, the UNAT held...

The UNAT held that the former staff member failed to provide evidence to prove entitlement to compensation for harm suffered.  In particular, the UNAT found that no evidence was submitted proving a nexus between the illegality committed and any harm suffered by the former staff member as a result.  The UNAT highlighted that the medical report submitted by the former staff member recorded that she had complained of lack of sleep and headaches ¡°for several years¡± and that such symptoms were consistent with a previous diagnosed medical condition.

As to the costs of the appeal, since there was no...

The UNAT noted the staff member had not requested a review of the decision by the United Nations Staff Pension Committee or filed an appeal to the Standing Committee, but rather had filed a request for management evaluation and then had applied to the UNDT. The UNAT found that, as such, he had not followed proper procedure. The UNAT held that there was no authority for receiving an application by the Dispute Tribunal with regards to a pension decision. The UNAT concluded that the UNDT had not erred when it held that it did not have jurisdiction to undertake a judicial review of the contested...

The UNAT noted that the Dispute Tribunal had issued the impugned Order granting the request to extend the time limit for filing the application without the adversely-affected party being heard and without authority to do so. The UNAT found that the UNDT had not technically complied with its own Practice Direction in issuing the Order and may have strictly violated the principles of natural justice and due process by failing to give the Secretary-General adequate notice of the motion and an opportunity to reply.

The UNAT observed, however, that the UNDT had accepted the staff member¡¯s averment...

The UNAT held that the UNDT Judge was not obligated to indicate their inclination on the evidence, especially since all evidence had not yet been presented. 

Considering various elements, including the Investigation Report, the WhatsApp message exchanges, and the former staff member¡¯s admissions, the UNAT found the Complainant¡¯s account of events credible.  It concluded that the former staff member¡¯s alleged conduct of calling the Complainant to his room on 1 August 2020 and asking her to come to his bed was established by clear and convincing evidence and amounted to sexual harassment.  It...

Le Tribunal d'appel a rejet¨¦ l'appel. Le Tribunal d'appel a estim¨¦ que l'UNDT avait correctement jug¨¦ que la demande de M. Qasem devant l'UNDT contestant la d¨¦cision de le placer en cong¨¦ administratif avec traitement avait ¨¦t¨¦ d¨¦pos¨¦e hors d¨¦lai et n'¨¦tait donc pas recevable ratione temporis. En outre, sa demande contestant la d¨¦cision de mener diverses enqu¨ºtes ¨¤ son sujet n'¨¦tait pas recevable ratione materiae en l'absence d'une demande de r¨¦vision de la d¨¦cision. 

The Appeals Tribunal dismissed the appeal. The Appeals Tribunal found that the UNDT correctly held that Mr. Qasem's application before the UNDT challenging the decision to place him on administrative leave with pay was filed untimely and was therefore not receivable ratione temporis. Furthermore, his application contesting the decision to conduct various investigations of him was not receivable ratione materiae in the absence of a request for decision review. 

Le TANU a estim¨¦ que les tentatives de l'agent pour plaider ¨¤ nouveau sa cause n'avaient pas permis d'identifier une quelconque erreur susceptible d'¨ºtre examin¨¦e dans le jugement du TNDU, ce qui justifiait ¨¤ lui seul le rejet de son recours.  En tout ¨¦tat de cause, ind¨¦pendamment du bien-fond¨¦ de sa demande, le TANU a estim¨¦ que sa requ¨ºte ¨¦tait prescrite en vertu de l'article 8, paragraphe 4, du statut du TANU, puisqu'elle l'avait introduite 27 ans apr¨¨s avoir re?u la d¨¦cision contest¨¦e.  Rappelant qu'aucun des deux tribunaux n'est habilit¨¦ ¨¤ prolonger les d¨¦lais dans ces circonstances, le...

Le TANU a estim¨¦ que la demande de r¨¦vision de l'agent ne r¨¦pondait pas aux exigences statutaires ¨¦nonc¨¦es ¨¤ l'article 11, paragraphe 1, du statut du TANU.  Le TANU a conclu que les arguments de l'agent reprenaient essentiellement ceux qu'il avait d¨¦j¨¤ avanc¨¦s devant le TANU et le TNDU.  Par cons¨¦quent, le TANU a estim¨¦ que sa demande de r¨¦vision ¨¦quivalait ¨¤ une demande de r¨¦examen par le TANU de son pr¨¦c¨¦dent recours infructueux.  En outre, le TANU a observ¨¦ que les observations du requ¨¦rant contenaient un certain nombre d'accusations injustes et inappropri¨¦es ¨¤ l'encontre des personnes qui...

The UNAT held that the staff member's application for revision failed to meet the statutory requirements outlined in Article 11(1) of the UNAT Statute. The UNAT concluded that the staff member's arguments essentially reiterated those he previously advanced before the UNAT and the UNDT. As a result, the UNAT held that his application for revision amounted to a request for the UNAT to reconsider his previous unsuccessful appeal. Moreover, the UNAT observed that the applicant's submissions contained a number of unfair and inappropriate accusations against persons who had dealt with his case, and...

The UNAT held that the staff member¡¯s attempts to reargue her case failed to identify any reviewable error in the UNDT Judgment, warranting alone dismissal of her appeal.  In any event, regardless of the merits of her claim, the UNAT found that her application was time-barred under Article 8(4) of the UNDT Statute since she filed it 27 years after her receipt of the contested decision.  Recalling that there is no authority given to either tribunal to extend time limits in these circumstances, the UNAT concluded that the UNDT was correct to conclude that her application was not receivable.

The...

M. Ronved a fait appel.

L'UNAT a rejet¨¦ l'appel et confirm¨¦ le jugement du UNDT.

L'UNAT a estim¨¦ que le Tribunal avait commis une erreur en jugeant la requ¨ºte irrecevable en ce qui concerne le refus d'une promotion temporaire ¨¤ la classe P-4. La d¨¦cision contest¨¦e devant le Tribunal du contentieux administratif ¨¦tait la d¨¦cision de proroger le SPA, que l'appelant a contest¨¦e en temps utile devant le MEU et le Tribunal du contentieux administratif du Tribunal. La prolongation du PSA et le refus d'accorder une promotion ¨¦taient les deux faces d'une m¨ºme d¨¦cision, avec les m¨ºmes d¨¦lais pour le...

Mr. Ronved appealed.

The UNAT dismissed the appeal and affirmed the UNDT Judgment.

The UNAT held that the UNDT erred in finding the application not receivable with respect to the refusal of a temporary promotion to the P-4 level.? The contested decision before the UNDT was the decision to extend the SPA, which the Appellant timely challenged before the MEU and the UNDT.? The extension of the SPA and the denial to grant a promotion were two sides of the same decision, with the same time limits for management evaluation.? Therefore, the request for management evaluation of both decisions was...

L'UNAT a examin¨¦ un appel interjet¨¦ par le fonctionnaire.

L'UNAT a constat¨¦ que le rapport de recommandation ne fournissait aucune explication permettant de comprendre la justification de la d¨¦cision de non-s¨¦lection. L'UNAT a not¨¦ qu'aucune information n'avait ¨¦t¨¦ fournie au cours de la proc¨¦dure judiciaire quant aux raisons pour lesquelles le candidat externe ¨¦tait le candidat le plus appropri¨¦. L'UNAT a estim¨¦ que, dans un souci de raisonnabilit¨¦, d'¨¦quit¨¦ et de transparence, l'Administration ¨¦tait cens¨¦e fournir des raisons pertinentes et v¨¦ritables ¨¤ l'appui de son choix final. L'UNAT a...

The UNAT considered an appeal by the staff member.

The UNAT found that the recommendation report did not provide any explanation to understand the rationale of the non-selection decision. The UNAT noted that no information had been given in the course of the judicial proceedings either as to why the external candidate was the most suitable candidate. The UNAT held that, for the sake of reasonableness, fairness and transparency, it was expected from the Administration to give relevant and true reasons supporting its ultimate choice. The UNAT found that the UNDT had made an error of fact...

L'UNAT a estim¨¦ que le Tribunal n'avait pas commis d'erreur en concluant que les faits ¨¤ l'origine de la r¨¦primande ¨¦crite ¨¦taient ¨¦tablis. L¡¯UNAT a reconnu que le plaidoyer de Mme Kamara-Joyner en faveur d¡¯un membre individuel du personnel ne relevait pas de ses r?les et fonctions, tant en sa qualit¨¦ de charg¨¦e de r¨¦solution des conflits pour l¡¯UNOMS que de pr¨¦sidente de l¡¯UNPAD. L'UNAT a constat¨¦ que Mme Kamara-Joyner n'avait pas express¨¦ment demand¨¦ l'approbation du conflit d'int¨¦r¨ºts entre ses deux fonctions et avait refus¨¦ de suivre les instructions visant ¨¤ ¨¦liminer le conflit d'int¨¦r¨ºts...

The UNAT held that the UNDT did not err in finding that the facts underlying the written reprimand were established. The UNAT agreed that Ms. Kamara-Joyner¡¯s advocacy for an individual staff member was outside of her roles and duties in both her capacity as a Conflict Resolution Officer for UNOMS and as President of UNPAD. The UNAT found that Ms. Kamara-Joyner failed to expressly seek approval for the conflict of interest between her two roles and refused to follow instructions on removing the conflict of interest. Accordingly, she was subject to a disciplinary or administrative measure. The...

L'UNAT a estim¨¦ que la DT de l'UNRWA n'avait pas commis d'erreur en accordant une indemnit¨¦ compensatrice. Elle a examin¨¦ ¨¤ juste titre les chances de M. Fanous d¡¯¨ºtre s¨¦lectionn¨¦ pour le poste lorsqu¡¯elle a d¨¦clar¨¦ qu¡¯elle consid¨¦rait qu¡¯il n¡¯y avait aucune garantie d¡¯une s¨¦lection future. La DT de l¡¯UNRWA a appliqu¨¦ un montant forfaitaire sp¨¦cifique au contexte. Elle a pris en compte la probabilit¨¦ de s¨¦lection et le salaire de M. Fanous ¨¤ l¡¯¨¦poque. Elle a rendu une d¨¦cision qui ¨¦tait juste et juste dans le cas pr¨¦sent, mais a ¨¦galement adopt¨¦ une approche fond¨¦e sur des principes qui a pris...

The UNAT found that the UNRWA DT did not err in its award of in-lieu compensation. It appropriately considered Mr. Fanous¡¯ chance of selection for the post when it stated that it considered there was no guarantee of a future selection. The UNRWA DT applied a context-specific lump sum amount.  It considered the likelihood of selection and Mr. Fanous¡¯ salary at the time. It made a determination that was fair and just in the present case but also took a principled approach that considered all relevant considerations.

As to Mr. Fanous¡¯ request for moral damages, with regard to the First and...