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Appealing a Decision to a Review Tribunal Under the Canada Pension Plan

What happens at the hearing

Your hearing is private and confidential

The only people allowed into the room for the hearing are:

• You
  • your representative, if you have one
  • anyone you bring with you for support, such as your spouse or a friend if allowed by the Tribunal
• The members of the Review Tribunal
• The representative from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
• An interpreter if you need one
• Any added party to the appeal, and their representative if they have one

Only these people will hear everything that is said at your hearing.

If you or an added party brings a witness, the chairperson will decide whether that person will be allowed to sit through the entire hearing or will be called in only when it is their turn to speak.

Getting started

The chairperson will introduce the members of the Review Tribunal and explain how the hearing will proceed.

Usually, before the hearing starts, the chairperson will ask the parties to give the Tribunal any new information they may have brought to the hearing with them. All the parties will get a copy of this information.

This is why you must bring five copies of the new information.

The Tribunal and the other parties will take time to read the new information. The Tribunal will also consider any other issue that needs to be dealt with before the hearing goes ahead.

If someone does not show up

If anyone who should be at the hearing (you, your representative, the representative of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada or a witness) does not show up, the chairperson will make sure everything possible is done to get in touch with that person.

If you are going to be late for your hearing or you will not be able to get there, call our office right away and we will let the Tribunal know. The Tribunal can decide to go ahead or it could adjourn the hearing.

If a hearing is adjourned

If any party to the appeal feels the hearing should not continue, they can ask the Review Tribunal to grant an adjournment. For example, the Tribunal can adjourn a hearing because of illness, when weather conditions become bad enough to prevent travel or if important information is not available.

The Tribunal, on its own, may decide to adjourn the hearing under certain circumstances. For example, if a lot of new information is presented, the Tribunal may decide everyone needs time to study it before the hearing can proceed. So make sure you get any new information to us as quickly as possible.

After full consideration, the Tribunal will decide whether to grant an adjournment.

All parties should be prepared to go ahead with the hearing if the Tribunal does not grant the adjournment.

If the hearing is adjourned, the Tribunal will notify the Office of the Commissioner of Review Tribunals in writing. We will send all parties a letter telling them why the hearing was adjourned. Once the matter for the adjournment has been addressed, we will contact you to schedule another Review Tribunal hearing.