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echoes the approach to the interpretation of all statutes, set out in section 12 of the Interpretation
Act, RSC 1985, c I-21, its appearance in section 2.1 of the Veterans Well-being Act and section 3
of the VRAB Act underscores the importance of a liberal interpretation of the statutory provisions
pertaining to compensation and benefits for members and veterans.
[16] This approach is reinforced by section 43 of the Veterans Well-being Act, which calls on
the Minister and their delegates to give applicants the “benefit of the doubt” in making decisions
on compensation and benefits in three ways:
Benefit of doubt
Décisions
43 In making a decision under
this Part or under section 84, the
Minister and any person
43 Lors de la prise d’une
décision au titre de la présente
partie ou de l’article 84, le
designated under section 67 shall ministre ou quiconque est
désigné au titre de l’article 67 :
(a) draw from the
a) tire des circonstances
portées à sa connaissance et
des éléments de preuve qui lui
sont présentés les conclusions
les plus favorables possible au
demandeur;
circumstances of the case, and
any evidence presented to the
Minister or person, every
reasonable inference in favour
of an applicant under this Part
or under section 84;
(b) accept any uncontradicted
evidence presented to the
Minister or the person, by the
applicant, that the Minister or
person considers to be credible
in the circumstances; and
b) accepte tout élément de
preuve non contredit que le
demandeur lui présente et qui
lui semble vraisemblable en
l’occurrence;
(c) resolve in favour of the
applicant any doubt, in the
weighing of the evidence, as to
whether the applicant has
established a case.
c) tranche en faveur du
demandeur toute incertitude
quant au bien-fondé de la
demande.