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Whether the facts on which the disciplinary measure was based have been established With respect to Count One, the Tribunal finds that there is clear and convincing evidence that the Applicant did not disclose his spouse¡¯s and his father in law¡¯s involvement with two Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵICEF implementing partners, of which the Applicant was the responsible Programme Manager on behalf of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵICEF. In his application, the Applicant does not dispute this fact either. Turning to Count Two, the Tribunal is convinced that the Applicant received a spouse dependency allowance to which he was not entitled. Moreover, the...

The Applicant was not notified of any indebtedness to the Organization or called upon to settle it, as required by ST/AI/155/Rev.2. The initial withholding did not have the required authorization in the USG/Management¡¯s decision; rather, it was applied in an arbitrary and obscure fashion, with the Applicant learning of it only by the fact that the pension was not forthcoming. It was apparent that, starting with the irregularity of not informing the Applicant of the withholding decision for two months following his separation, the Administration had not seriously undertaken to establish either...

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT considered an appeal by the Commissioner-General and a cross-appeal by Ms. Kaddoura. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT affirmed the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA DT Judgment in part. It only vacated the referral of the former Commissioner-General for accountability, finding that it was not adequate to rely on hearsay to refer a former staff member, be it the former Commissioner-General or any other, to accountability. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT further held that there was no possibility of imposing a disciplinary measure on a former staff member, and as such any such referral would be ineffectual.

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT considered an appeal by Mr. Mezyed. As a preliminary matter, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT denied Mr. Mezyed¡¯s request for an oral hearing. Turning to the merits of the appeal, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT found that the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA DT had applied correctly the first four conditions in Area Staff Rule 109.4 precedent to possible severance from service for abandonment of post. As to the fifth condition, Mr. Mezyed¡¯s failure to submit an acceptable written explanation for his failure to report, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT found that the Agency had failed to properly address the grounds advanced by Mr. Mezyed for his non-return, and as such, the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA DT could not...

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT made several findings on the appeal. First, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT held that Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT did not err when it did not hold a case management or substantive hearing on the issues. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT agreed that the first instance Judge is in the best position to decide what is appropriate for the fair and expeditious disposal of a case and to do justice to the parties. Second, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT agreed with the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT that the administrative action was not a disguised disciplinary sanction. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT also found that the USG had the authority to transfer the appellant to a different unit to address a political situation. However, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT disagreed with...

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT held that the Appellant did not fall within the exceptional category of participants who exercised their election for a deferred retirement benefit before 1 April 1997 and were therefore entitled to restore their prior contributory service, as the Appellant exercised her election in September 2009. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT held that the Appellant was not entitled to restore her prior contributory service. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT held that the Appellant¡¯s complaint that she did not have access to the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵJSPF Regulations was unconvincing, given, inter alia, the availability of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵJSPF Regulations and Rules on the website. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT...

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT considered an appeal by the Secretary-General. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT held that the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT erred in fact and in law in its finding that the facts of misconduct were not established by clear and convincing evidence. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT held that a number of the factual findings made by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT were not supported by the evidence and were unreasonable. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT held that the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT should have limited itself to determining whether the Secretary-General was within his authority to impose disciplinary measures on Mr. Hossain, and that by speculating on the misconduct of another individual, the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT exceeded its competence. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT held...

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT held that the evidence was clear and convincing that the Appellant was under the influence of alcohol when he got into his car before the accident occurred and that the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT erred in concluding otherwise. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT held that his conduct was in violation of Staff Regulation 1.2(f) and the MINUSMA Code of Conduct. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT held that: there was no evidence on record that the Appellant was authorised to carry his firearm while off-duty; that, on the contrary, the evidence on record showed that normally security guards did not carry their weapons off-duty; and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT erred in finding that the charge of...

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 Mr. Kennedy. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT found that the sanction letter and record provided inadequate reasons for judicial review leading to the finding that no rational connection or relationship between the evidence and the objective of the disciplinary action has been established. As a result, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT was unable to assess the proportionality and lawfulness of the imposition of the disciplinary sanctions.

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT held that there were no errors in the decision of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA DT that the Appellant¡¯s application was irreceivable. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT held the Appellant was notified of the decision not to shortlist him by e-mail of 14 November 2019. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT held that the Appellant¡¯s allegations regarding the abolishment of his post had no legal relevance for the appeal, which dealt only with issues of receivability. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT dismissed the appeal and affirmed the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵRWA DT Judgment.

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT considered an appeal by Ms. Modey-Ebi. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT noted that the issues in the appeal were entirely factual, most of which were resolved on the evidentiary record which in most respects established a pattern of misconduct justifying dismissal. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT noted that while some of the proven allegations against Ms. Modey-Ebi were less serious than others, cumulatively they revealed a pattern of unethical conduct indicating that Ms. Modey-Ebi was not suited for the senior position she held. Her behaviour revealed a lack of propriety and integrity and her behaviour was inconsistent with her duties under...

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...

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT first agreed with the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT that the abolition of post was not a reviewable administrative decision. Second, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT ruled there was no evidence of improper motives regarding the non-renewal of the staff member¡¯s appointment. The staff member¡¯s main contention on appeal was that his post should have been subject to a Comparative Review Process (CRP) instead of being identified as a ¡°dry cut.¡± A ¡°dry cut¡± happens when a post is unique and can therefore be abolished without a comparative review. The staff member claims his post should have undergone a CRP because there were other P-5 political...

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...

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT disagreed and distinguished the case at hand with the two cases cited by the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT explained that in the case at hand, the staff member¡¯s actions could have a substantial reputational impact on the Organization and could also adversely affect the relationship between the Organization, Member States and the Host Country. The Tribunal emphasized that the actions of the staff member went beyond the mere internal affairs of the Organization and in fact the fraudulent act was used as an instrument to avoid legal proceedings in the Host Country. As such, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT concluded that the misconduct...

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT considered an appeal by Mr. Andrysek. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT dismissed the appeal and affirmed the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT Judgment.

This case was presided by Judge Halfeld, and Judge Murphy drafted the majority opinion. The Majority (Halfeld, Murphy, Raikos and Knierim) dismissed the appeal and held that the appeal was not receivable. Without deciding on the issue whether the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT has an inherent right to hold a non-party in contempt, the Majority found that the appeal did not meet the requirements of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT Statute. The Majority explained that it had jurisdiction ratione materiae to hear and pass judgment on an appeal pursuant to Article 2(1) of the Statute in which it is asserted that the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT has: (a) exceeded its...

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT granted the appeal by the Secretary-General and vacated the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT Judgment.

The Appeals Tribunal found that Mr. Karkara failed to show that the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT¡¯s assessment of the evidence had resulted in a manifestly unreasonable decision. It also found that the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT did not make any errors with regard to the admissibility of witnesses. The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT further found that the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT did not commit any procedural error, and Mr. Karkara¡¯s allegations of procedural irregularities did not put the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵDT¡¯s findings into doubt. Accordingly, the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT agreed that there was clear and convincing evidence of sexual abuse and exploitation by Mr. Karkara. The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAT also held that the sanction of...