Yesterday, Eric Rebiere (Former Cst. RCMP 37515) LSGC, Charter Member Canadian Veterans Advocacy, posted a response to my reposting his Summary of CVAC Complaint to Veterans Ombudsman.

In addition, he has supplied official references for veterans to use re: THEIR RIGHTS, CLAIMS, APPEALS in VRAB hearings. These are official papers that require you to go over the information slowly and carefully. In some cases, you might need legal help to understand the information. The reason we are adding access to these documents at Homecoming Vets is that one of its goals was to provide veterans with a network of references they could easily find. Originally I was going to add these documents to the blog roll of references on the right sidebar, but I think the better and more visible way to provide these references is to create their own page, which are accessible from the page menu on top of this blog. Veterans, know your rights! BONNIE

Thanks for posting this, Bonnie, and it is good timing. Just want to make it clear that I am no longer the Director of Legal Initiatives for the Canadian Veterans Advocacy, just a member. Once the Office of the Veterans Ombudsman will make public their findings in regards to the investigation into the VRAB it will become apparent that the VRAB have some serious shortcomings.

I have written a VETERANS’ USER GUIDE to help injured veterans denied legitimate disability claims use this information and assess their own VRAB decisions so they can be armed with the law and rules governing the VRAB Boards.

I have come upon a second example of the VRAB Board members not indicating their names on a review hearing decision i.e. one name and one signature here in Kingston while I was assisting an injured Military Veteran. This is contrary to Section 7 of the VRAB Regulations that state that all VRAB Board members that sit on a hearing – be it a Review or Appeal — have to indicate their names on the decisions. A Review hearing requires the minimum of two Board members and only one signature on the decision.

Everyone out there! This should be the first thing you check on your VRAB Review Hearings and appeals.

The other thing is to make sure that if a Board Member sat on your Review Hearing they CAN NOT sit on your Appeal/Reconsideration hearing contrary to the VRAB Act.

I strongly believe that VRAB abuse is more widespread and has been going on for a very long time. Use the rules and the case law (Judicial Review Federal Court Judges decisions) to oblige the VRAB to do their jobs and respect the VRAB Act in light of what it was meant for.

Click HERE to access your VETERANS’ USER GUIDE