It is not tempting providence to make statutory provision for the unlikely and undesired situation where either the commissioner or the chairperson of the tribunal would be laid low by accident or illness. However, certain critical functions under the Refugee Act must be carried out personally by the office holders in question and even a temporary unavailability of a couple of months could impact seriously on the ability of the commissioner's office or the tribunal to continue their respective important work of investigating asylum claims and considering asylum appeals. It is accordingly prudent that there should be the ability to appoint a substitute in each case.