UNDT/2024/084, Kisumiro
The Tribunal found that in this case, the evidence adduced by the Respondent was neither clear nor convincing. Accordingly, the Tribunal held that the Respondent had failed to show that it was highly probable that the Applicant had committed the alleged misconduct and thus had failed to meet its burden of proof. Accordingly, the Tribunal decided to:
a. Rescind the decision to separate the Applicant from service;
b. Set the amount of compensation that the Respondent may elect to pay in lieu of implementing the rescission at two years net salary with interest at the US prime rate from...
UNDT/2024/083, Applicant
The Tribunal observed that the letter communicating the contested decision did not indicate whether the Advisory Body on Compensation Claims ("ABCC") considered the exceptional circumstances set out by the Applicant in her request to reopen her claim, which explained the reasons for her not meeting the submission deadline.
The Tribunal, thus, held that the Applicant had succeeded in establishing that the decision not to reopen her claim was irrational. The Tribunal deemed the contested decision as irrational because ABCC ignored factors relevant to whether despite not meeting the four-month...
UNDT/2024/082, Thomas-McPhee
The transitional measure under the new parental leave scheme grants an additional 10 weeks of special leave with full pay ("SLWFP") to staff members who were already on maternity leave on 1 January 2023. This measure was created to facilitate the transition from the previous parental leave scheme to the new one, and to enable equity and fairness in the treatment of staff members who became parents by giving birth.
The Tribunal found that the transitional measure was a fair, reasonable, and rational solution. Under it, all birthing parents that were still on maternity leave when the new policy...
UNDT-2024-081, Diouf Ndiaye
Le Tribunal a estim¨¦ que l¡¯ABCC avait mis un temps d¨¦mesur¨¦ (pr¨¨s de cinq ans) ¨¤ traiter la demande d¡¯indemnisation de la requ¨¦rante suite au d¨¦c¨¨s de son mari.
L¡¯objectif m¨ºme de l¡¯indemnisation d¡¯un fonctionnaire pour un pr¨¦judice subi (ou de l¡¯indemnisation d¡¯un b¨¦n¨¦ficiaire pour le d¨¦c¨¨s d¡¯un proche) est d¡¯att¨¦nuer ses souffrances et de le placer dans la situation o¨´ il se serait trouv¨¦ si le pr¨¦judice n¡¯avait pas eu lieu. ? cet ¨¦gard, la question pertinente n¡¯est pas de savoir si la demande d¡¯indemnisation est accept¨¦e ou rejet¨¦e, mais si une d¨¦cision sur la question est prise en temps...
UNDT/2024/080, Sophocleous
Applicant¡¯s request for anonymization
The Tribunal found that the instant case is not comparable to AAE 2023-UNAT-1332 as the Applicant only refers to the¡°harm this case has caused¡± him and the ¡°sensitive information¡± referred to in the case without providing further reasons for the Tribunal to deviate from the principles of transparency and accountability. Therefore, the Applicant¡¯s motion was denied.
Receivability
The Tribunal clarified that the Applicant's reassignment to a post reflecting his new P-5 level after demotion is a separate administrative decision for which the Applicant did not...
583 (2024), AAZ
- Appealed
The UNAT found that the written witness statement sought to be submitted constituted new and additional evidence on appeal. The UNAT found that it was apparent that the staff member had known of the evidence at the Dispute Tribunal but, as he noted in his motion and appeal brief, had relied on other grounds which he believed were sufficient to substantiate his claims without risking exposing the witness. The UNAT held that this rendered his request to submit additional evidence on appeal inadmissible. The UNAT denied the motion for leave to submit a confidential witness statement.
UNDT/2024/077, Castelli
- Appealed
Regarding the decision to not convene a fact-finding panel, the Tribunal recalled its jurisprudence which indicates that a fact-finding investigation may only be undertaken if there are sufficient grounds to believe that a staff member had engaged in unsatisfactory conduct. In the instant case, the Tribunal, concluded that the Applicant had not provided sufficient grounds to support his claim.
In relation to the second contested decision, the Tribunal also referred to its settled jurisprudence which indicates that there is no right to FWA. The Tribunal, rather, observed that a denial of FWA...
UNDT/2024/079, Moroldo
- Appealed
The UNDT held that imposition of a sanction is not just a mechanical exercise, since the sanction should not be ¡°more excessive than is necessary for obtaining the desired result.
A written censure would have been a suitably ¡°meaningful consequence¡± and sufficient to impress upon the Applicant the error of his actions. The record indicates that he acknowledged that he should have sought authorisation before registering his company.
The Tribunal therefore finds that the sanction in this case was disproportionate to the misconduct by adding to the written censure an additional, unnecessary...
UNDT/2024/078, Ammar
The Tribunal found that the Respondent was not able to demonstrate that the facts on which the disciplinary measure was based were established by clear and convincing evidence, as otherwise required by the Appeals Tribunal in its jurisprudence.
Having found that the facts on which the disciplinary measure was based had not been established by clear and convincing evidence, the Tribunal also found that there was no established misconduct by the Applicant.
Given the finding of absence of misconduct by the Applicant, the Tribunal also rescinded the sanction imposed on him.
UNDT/2024/075, Okello
The Tribunal observed that the facts of this case were very clear from the testimony and record. The Tribunal further noted that the Applicant had admitted his wrongdoing during his interview by the investigator. Accordingly, the Tribunal found by clear and convincing evidence that the Applicant had committed fraud, a prohibited conduct.
Regarding misconduct, the Tribunal concluded that the Applicant committed fraud. Therefore, his actions amounted to serious misconduct.
On the due process prong, the Tribunal rejected the Applicant¡¯s argument that his due process rights were violated because...