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Addressing individual human rights complaints

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The Ontario Human Rights Commission provides information to tens of thousands of Ontarians each year, helping individuals and organizations prevent or resolve human rights concerns.

Public contact with the Commission

Between April 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008, the Commission dealt with:

  • 51,753 telephone inquiries
  • 2,241 inquiries received by letter
  • 655 in person visits

Caseload Overview

  • The Commission began the fiscal year with 3,099 cases
  • 3,491 new complaints were received (an increase of 1,154 or 49.3% over the 2,337 new complaints filed the previous year)
  • 2,477 complaints were completed at the Commission, on average at 14.6 months (an increase of 359 or 16.9% over the 2118 cases completed the previous year, due in part to the change in the complaints process introduced by the Commission in February 2007 that set out more stringent scheduling requirements for mediation and fact-finding meetings, and production of documents)
  • 4,199 cases remained at year-end (1,100 or 35.4% more than the 3,099 cases it began the year with
  • Average age of the caseloads at year-end was 14.8 months (down from 16.4 months the previous year)
  • 252 cases (6.1%) were over three years old at year-end (compared with 169 cases or 5.5% the previous year)

Of the 2,477 cases completed at the Commission:

118 cases or 4.8% were dismissed based on preliminary objections (s.34 of the Code), on average at 10.5 months, because:

  • 1.1% could have been dealt with by another legislated body
  • 1.5% were frivolous, vexatious, or made in bad faith
  • 0.0% were outside the Commission’s jurisdiction
  • 1.3% were outside the Code’s six-month filing requirement
  • 0.9% contained some combination of the above

1,313 or 53.1% of cases were mediated or settled by the Commission or resolved between the parties, on average at 10.5 months:

  • 708 or 28.6% were settled through early mediation without investigation, on average at 7.96 months.
  • 317 or 12.8% were settled at the investigation stage, on average at 25.15 months
  • 288 or 11.6% were resolved between the parties, on average at 15.8 months

513 cases or 20.7% were withdrawn by the complainant, some due to settlements between parties outside the Commission’s process, on average at 7.5 months.

533 cases or 21.5% received a Commission decision based on the findings of its investigation (s.36 of the Code), on average at 24.2 months:

  • 202 or 8.2% were dismissed because of insufficient evidence to warrant a Tribunal hearing, on average at 27.2 months
  • 330 or 13.3% were referred to the Tribunal for a hearing, on average at ??? months (compared to 143 cases referred the previous year)
  • 1 additional case was referred to the Tribunal after the Commission reconsidered a previous decision

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