When making decisions, exercising discretion reasonably is an important way of acting fairly.

Bo immigrated to Canada in the 1980s and received a two-sided Canadian citizenship card. The names on each side of her citizenship card were slightly different. For years, Bo held a BC Driver’s Licence, and other identification, in the name on the “picture side” of her citizenship card. However, when Bo went to renew her driver’s licence she was told that she was required to use the name on the “coat of arms” side of her citizenship card, a different name than the one she had been using since coming to Canada in the 1980s.

Feeling like she was being treated unfairly, Bo contacted us.

We investigated whether ICBC followed a reasonable procedure when they denied Bo a licence in her current name.

During our investigation, ICBC advised that they received new direction from the provincial government regarding the name policy for ICBC-issued identification. The new direction would allow the use of the name on the picture side of the citizenship card. ICBC indicated the policy was not retroactive but they agreed to apply the new policy in Bo’s case and issued her driver’s licence in the name she had used since coming to Canada.