Recourse Principles

The Canada Border Services Agency's redress process is governed by the following principles:

Timeliness: You can expect that decisions will be issued within reasonable time frames.

• Key elements:
  • The CBSA will contact you as soon as reasonably possible.
  • The CBSA's recourse officers will request information from you at the earliest opportunity.
  • The CBSA is committed to maintaining service standards for its recourse program.

Accessibility: You can request a review of CBSA actions or decisions.

• Key elements:
  • Border services legislation allows for a reasonable time to request a review.
  • Information about the review process is available on the CBSA's Web site.
  • There are no fees to request a review. However, you must pay and/or secure duties and taxes to file trade disputes.

Consistency: You can expect uniform decisions based on the same circumstances.

• Key elements:
  • Decisions are monitored to ensure consistent application and judgment.
  • A standardized review process – supported by information systems and databases – promotes consistent decision making.

Impartiality: You can expect an objective decision-making process.

• Key elements:
  • Recourse officers are impartial.
  • The decision maker considers all information, evidence or submissions from the parties to make objective and supportable findings of fact and defensible interpretations of the law.
  • The decision maker is not the same person who made the original decision.
  • The decision maker must respect the CBSA's mandate and policies and the relevant legislation and jurisprudence.

Transparency: You have access to an open redress process.

• Key elements:
  • The CBSA will disclose all relevant information to you.
  • The CBSA will provide you with reasons for all decisions made.
  • The activities of the CBSA's recourse officers are subject to legislative provisions that protect confidentiality.