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HOME > What's New

• New Applications
• Transitional Applications
• Commission Referred Complaints

ASL Plain Language Guide

The Tribunal’s Plain Language Guide is now available in a series of ASL videos. The guide is written in question and answer format, and each question and its response comprise one video.

Notice to the Community

Please be advised that on March 23, 2009 the Tribunal issued revised versions of Forms 3 through 24 and added a new Form 25 for use in all new applications made under the Rules of Procedure governing Part IV Applications. The revised forms have been posted to the Tribunal's website as of the above date.

The revisions fix technical errors present in some of these forms and provide other minor changes intended to enhance usability.

While the Tribunal will continue to accept previously available versions of these forms, we encourage law firms or clinics who have printed out copies of our forms to update and replace them with the revised versions now available.

NOTICE TO THE COMMUNITY

Rules of Practice (for Commission Referred Complaints)

Rule 3: Reconsideration

Rule 3 of the Rules of Practice for Commission referred Complaints is being repealed by the Tribunal in order to bring these Rules into compliance with the Human Rights Code after June 30, 2008, the date named as the effective date under the Code. (January 9, 2009)

NOTICE OF CHANGE OF MAILING ADDRESS

The Office of the Registrar Transition of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario is moving on November 24, 2008.

If you

• are a party to a human rights complaint referred to the Tribunal by the Ontario Human Rights Commission, or
• are a party to a transitional application made under section 53(3) of the Human Rights Code

please update your files to reflect the following new contact information for the Tribunal:

Patricia M. Grenier, Registrar - Transition
Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario
180 Dundas Street West, 22nd Floor, Toronto, ON M5G 1Z8
TEL: Toronto (416) 326-1312, or Toll Free 1-866-598-0322
TTY: Toronto (416) 314-2379, or Toll Free 1-800-424-1168
Fax: Toronto (416) 314-8743
Email: HRTO.Registrar-Transition@ontario.ca

Note: This change of address does NOT affect parties to an application filed under the new Part IV Rules. This change of address only affects parties to transitional applications and commission referred complaints.

CONSULTATION ON THE RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR TRANSITIONAL APPLICATIONS UNDER SECTION 53(3) AND 53(5) OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS CODE

The Tribunal is inviting public feedback on its draft Rules of Procedure for Transitional Applications under section 53(3) and 53(5) of the Human Rights Code. Please provide any feedback by December 1, 2008. We welcome your comments and will consider all submissions received in finalizing these Rules.

Consultation Transitional Application Rules

On June 30, 2008, the Human Rights Code Amendment Act 2006 came into force. As of that date, all claims of discrimination under the Human Rights Code are now dealt with through applications filed directly with the Tribunal. The Ontario Human Rights Commission is no longer responsible for receiving discrimination complaints from individuals and then referring them on to the Tribunal.

This change presented a significant challenge for the Tribunal, which is expected to grow from receiving 100 to 150 complaints each year to an estimated 3,000 Applications annually.

In keeping with changes to the Code, the Tribunal has established procedures that will ensure all claims of discrimination are:

• addressed in a timely way,
• resolved fairly, based on the facts and the law, and;
• where a violation of the Code is found, an effective meaningful remedy is provided.

Beyond these fundamental principles, we see a unique opportunity to enhance access to justice and to create an open and effective process for resolving human rights applications by:

• establishing procedures that offer parties early, direct and informed access to mediation and adjudication;
• building a Tribunal whose members have expertise in both human rights as well as in modern dispute resolution techniques, and who are committed to the highest standards of integrity and fairness.

The new system does not shift the roles and responsibilities for dealing with individual complaints formerly held by the Commission to the Tribunal. The new system realigns the roles and responsibilities. The Tribunal�s primary role is to provide an expeditious and accessible process to assist parties to resolve applications, and to decide those applications where the parties are unable to resolve them through settlement. The amended Code establishes a new Human Rights Legal Support Centre to provide advice, support and representation for applicants, while the Commission continues to play its important public interest function.

The Tribunal's new hearing and mediation facilities have opened and are located at 655 Bay Street, 14th Floor, Toronto, Ontario. We have worked closely with accessibility consultants and the facilities branch of the Ministry of the Attorney General to ensure the hearing and mediation rooms incorporate best practices for accessible design.

The Tribunal continues to hold mediations and hearings in regional hearing centres, and in other locations where the accommodation of particular needs is required.

Meeting the Tribunal's mandate has meant increasing the number of our adjudicators. The new Human Rights Code requires appointments to be made following an open, competitive, merit-based recruitment process. The Tribunal is pleased to have completed the current round of recruitments. Twelve new full-time vice chairs and 10 part-time members have been appointed, for a total of 23 full-time and 22 part-time Tribunal members.Meet our new members