Ontario Bar Association
Endorses Modernization of Human Rights System
Commends province for having courage to fix broken system that is failing Ontarians
TORONTO – Today, the Ontario Bar Association (OBA) commended Premier McGuinty and Attorney General Michael Bryant for having the courage to bring forward pioneering legislation that, if passed, will fix a broken human rights system that is failing Ontarians. The OBA’s support for the legislation was outlined in their submission tabled with the Standing Committee on Justice Policy that is charged with reviewing Bill 107, The Human Rights Code Amendment Act.
“One of the most important measures of a just society is their ability to protect the rights of minorities and the most vulnerable. This is something that Ontario’s current human rights system is failing to do,” said OBA President James Morton. “The modernization of our human rights system, as proposed in Bill 107, would catapult Ontario to a world-class leader in human rights protection.”
In recent years the human rights system in Ontario has come under fire from the UN Committee on Human Rights who criticized the present Ontario model for its failure to afford parties access to a hearing. Presently, complaints are made to the Ontario Human Rights Commission, which decides whether the matter will proceed to a hearing before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.
Despite the hard work and best intentions of those administering the current system, only a small percentage of cases ever reach a Tribunal hearing, and then only after a lengthy delay of several years. In addition, the Human Rights Commission has contradictory roles – screening complaints and deciding which may proceed, as well as promoting human rights and representing complainants whose cases proceed to a hearing.
Morton stated, “The OBA commends Premier McGuinty and Attorney General Michael Bryant for having the courage to move forward with this ground breaking legislation that will truly advance the protection of human rights in Ontario.”
The OBA’s submission on Bill 107 provided a clear endorsement of the proposed new human rights system, as well as offering some recommendations on further enhancements that could be made to the bill that is currently making its way through the legislature.
The OBA is the voice of the legal profession in Ontario. As a branch of the Canadian Bar Association, the OBA represents 17,000 lawyers, judges, law professors and law students across the Province.
