Backgrounder - Appointment and Reappointments to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Patrick Lemieux

Prior to his appointment to the Board, Mr. Lemieux was senior manager, finance and administration, of the Student Services of McGill University. He has also been Director of Tour Services with the Cirque du Soleil for the production of Dralion. Previously, he held several positions with Médecins Sans Frontières, including Manager, Emergency Coordinator and Head of Mission. He has also worked as a lawyer with Ogilvy Renault, Barristers and Solicitors. Mr. Lemieux received a Bachelor of Laws from the Université de Sherbrooke and a Master of Business Administration from the ESADE Business School in Barcelona.

Gilles L. Guénette

Prior to his initial appointment to the Board on January 15, 2007, Mr. Guénette practised law in the Ottawa-Carleton area for many years as a general practitioner, mainly as a civil litigator since 1979. He was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1964 and appointed to the Queen’s Counsel in 1984. Mr. Guénette received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Social, Economic and Political Sciences and his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Ottawa.

Alain Bissonnette

A lawyer, member of the Québec Bar since 1980, with a degree in law and a Master’s degree in anthropology, Mr. Bissonnette was first appointed to the Board on January 15, 2007. Prior to his appointment to the IRB, Mr. Bissonnette was a consultant in the field of international cooperation, including for the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). He previously worked in China as part of the Senior Judges Training Project. He also held the position of Policy and Research Manager at the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (Rights and Democracy). Mr. Bissonnette acted as legal advisor with the team responsible for negotiating a comprehensive land claims agreement for the Atikamekw and Montagnais. He was also a member of the Commission des droits de la personne du Québec [Quebec human rights commission] and member of the Quebec Human Rights Tribunal. He has also been a lecturer in law and anthropology at various universities (Montréal, UQAM, McGill, Ottawa, Panthéon-Sorbonne in Paris).

Michel Byczak

Prior to his initial appointment to the Board on January 15, 2007, Mr. Byczak was a refugee protection officer with the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. He also held several positions with Citizenship and Immigration Canada. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Sir George Williams University and his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Quebec in Montreal.

Dana Kean

Prior to her initial appointment to the Board on January 15, 2007, Ms. Kean was Ombudsman with the Jewish Eldercare Centre in Montreal, Quebec. She had 12 years of legal experience with a specialization in medical/health law as well as general litigation and corporate/commercial practice. Ms. Kean has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 1993 and of the Ontario Bar since 2005. She received her Bachelor of Civil Law and her Master of Medical Law from the University of Sherbrooke.

Ivan M. Lerner

Prior to his initial appointment to the Board on January 15, 2007, Mr. Lerner was a lawyer in private practice specializing in criminal and penal law. Mr. Lerner received his Bachelor of Laws from McGill University and his Master in Laws from the University of Montreal.

Walter Kawun

Prior to his initial appointment to the Board on January 8, 2007, Mr. Kawun worked as a refugee protection officer, a triage officer and an acting operations services manager with the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. He received his Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Economics and a Specialist Designation in both Commerce and Finance from the University of Toronto.

Daniel McSweeney

Prior to his initial appointment to the Board on January 8, 2007, Mr. McSweeney was the Principal of Client Centred Consulting. He also served with Cancer Care Ontario and with the Lakeshore Area Multi-Service Project (LAMP) Community Health and Multi-Service Centre. Mr. McSweeney received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Ottawa and his Master of Social Work degree from the University of Toronto.

Michal Mivasair

Prior to her initial appointment to the Board on January 8, 2007, Ms. Mivasair was a tribunal member with the Employment and Assistance Appeal Tribunal and Tribunal Chair with the Property Assessment Review Panel. She also had her own private practice specializing in Arbitration and Mediation. Ms. Mivasair received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University, her certificate in Conflict Resolution from the Justice Institute in Vancouver and her Juris Doctorate degree from New York University Law School.