Canada Agricultural Review Tribunal

The Canada Agricultural Review Tribunal (CART) is an independent body established by Parliament under the Canada Agricultural Products Act. It provides independent oversight of federal agencies' use of Administrative Monetary Penalties in relation to agriculture and agri-food. 

Anyone who disagrees with a notice of violation can request a review under the Agriculture and Agri-Food Administrative Monetary Penalties Act (Act). When the applicant requests a review by CART, he or she may proceed by written submissions alone or by requesting an oral hearing. A second type of review, under the Act, occurs when a party disagrees with a decision made by the Minister regarding the validity of a Notice of Violation. In this case, the applicant must show that there is either an error in law in the decision or that there was a lack of natural justice in the process.

Once CART receives the applicant's request for review, it will determine if it is admissible (the most common reasons for inadmissibility are that the applicant did not file his or her claim within the prescribed time or has already paid the prescribed penalty). If the claim is admissible, the agency that issued the Notice of Violation or the Minister who issued the decision regarding the validity of a Notice of Violation, as the case may be, will be advised.