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Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT agreed with the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA DT that the contested decision was a lawful exercise of discretion. Regarding the Appellant¡¯s claim that the process was tainted because of the lapse of time since the complained of behavior occurred (ten years) and because of the hearsay nature of the evidence, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT explained that these same arguments were made both to the DT and to the Administration during the investigation phase. The Tribunal agreed with the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA DT that there was sufficient corroborating evidence to back the allegations. The Tribunal also noted that it is within the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA DT¡¯s role to review...

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT considered an appeal by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT held that Mr. Khamis¡¯ proven conduct did not itself amount to misconduct: he did not engage in transactional sexual relations with local persons and his sexual relations with two local women were more in the nature of domestic, albeit polygamous and ¡®open¡¯, relationships. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT held that it was not established that payments made to both women were commercial transactions in return for sexual favours. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT held that there was not such an imbalance of power between Mr. Khamis and the two women that they could be termed...

Starting with the presumption that official acts are regularly performed, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT agreed that the Administration acted in accordance with the Staff Regulations and Rules when it invited three roster candidates for an informal interview and made a final selection from the roster. Given the presumption of regularity was satisfied, the burden of proof shifted on the staff member who must demonstrate that he was not given fair and adequate consideration. This, the staff member failed to do. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT also agreed with the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT that the staff member can only challenge a specific administrative decision, and...

The staff member appealed to Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT arguing inter alia that there was no clear and convincing evidence in the record showing that he was aware that he was the subject of an investigation at the time he applied to the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵICEF job. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT determined that the letter from the IOM Legal Counsel (an authorized representative of an agency within the United Nations System) enjoyed the status of an ¡°official act¡± and as such carried with it ¡°the presumption of regularity¡±. The Tribunal found that once this evidence had been adduced, it was incumbent upon the staff member to rebut it, which he failed to do...

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT dismissed the Secretary-General¡¯s appeal and granted the staff member¡¯s cross-appeal, in part. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT found that the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT properly took into account several facts that were relevant in determining whether there had been sexual exploitation and abuse of vulnerability or trust. The Tribunal reasoned the burden on the Administration was to show on clear and convincing evidence that the staff member¡¯s conduct fell in one of the following five categories: (i) he abused a position of vulnerability for sexual purposes; (ii) he abused a position of differential power for sexual purposes; (iii) he...

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT held that Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT¡¯s interpretation of the totality of the evidence on the record was reasonable. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT held that Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT had correctly found that Mr Russo-Got was Candidate A for the P-3 test and Candidate F for the P-4 test and that Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOPS had submitted contemporaneous documentation showing that he was not recommended because he had failed the written assessment for the two tests. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT held that Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT properly reviewed the contested decisions in accordance with the applicable law.

The evidence of procedural errors and irregularities supported the Dispute Tribunal¡¯s findings of fact that lead to the justifiable conclusion that, had the irregularities not occurred, Mr Russo-Got had a foreseeable and significant chance of selection given his qualifications. The approach adopted by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT and by which Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT assessed Mr.; Russo-Got¡¯s chances of being selected for the post as one in five was reasonable. In the absence of errors of fact or law by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT defers to its discretion in awarding and quantifying the pecuniary damages.

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT disagreed with Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT and found the procedure laid down in the Staff Regulations and Rules was not properly followed, as such the Secretary-General¡¯s exclusion of the staff member from the selection process was not legal, rational, procedurally correct, or proportionate. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT firstly held that Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT erred when it ruled that the invitation e-mail respected the advance notice requirement. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT reasoned that the day of the event (the receipt of the email) cannot be counted in computing the number of days required to give advance notice for a test. As such, by requiring at least five working...

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT agreed and found the evidence on the record supports the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT finding that the administrative action was lawful and rational in furtherance of the operational needs of the Organization. Second, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT also found no error in the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT conclusion that the administrative decision was not tainted by improper motives, and that the staff member had failed to meet her burden of proof of proving otherwise. Finally, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT found no error in the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT conclusion that the additional commute of 17 km was not overly onerous, yielding to a disproportionate measure by the Administration.

Admissibility: The parameters of what is admissible before this court is provided for in Article 18 of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT Rules of Procedure. In relevant part, the Article states that the Tribunal shall determine the admissibility of any evidence; and that it may exclude evidence which it considers irrelevant, frivolous or lacking in probative value. Workplan/EPAS: It is the responsibility of the first reporting officer to set out the work plan with the Applicant; to conduct the mid-point review and the final appraisal; and to provide supervision on the overall work of the Applicant during the course...