Archive

We were encouraged this week to hear Ontario’s Solicitor General and Minister for Community Safety and Correctional Services announce plans to regulate police street checks across Ontario. The Minister was clear about what he wants: “to prevent unjustifiable police stops for no reason or without cause”. HOW to do this will be the difficult part – but ending “unjustifiable police stops” that amount to racial profiling is our goal.

Toronto –The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) released OHRC Today, its 2014-2015 Annual Report, which focuses on mental health disabilities and addictions, bias-free policing and its work across Ontario on gender identity and gender expression issues.

Toronto - The Ontario Human Rights Commission is seeking leave to intervene as a friend of the Court in the “Neptune 4” case, being heard by the Toronto Police Service Disciplinary Tribunal. The action is part of a longstanding effort by the OHRC to tackle racial profiling – an issue at the heart of the Commission’s mandate to promote and advance respect for human rights in Ontario. 

Dear Minister, The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) welcomes your Ministry’s consideration of legislating standards set out in the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police 2014 Guideline for Police Record Checks. We agree there is a lack of consistency with the various levels of record checks and their purposes, as well as the types of information disclosed. The OHRC has raised concern for a while now that police record checks have a negative impact on people with mental health disabilities who have non-criminal contact with police. That’s why we got involved in the development of the first OACP Guideline and endorsed its release in 2011.  

The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) is pleased to mark Sexual Harassment Awareness Week. Sexual harassment continues to be a critical issue across Ontario society. Recent news coverage of incidents affecting female reporters while on the job highlights the pervasiveness of the problem for women at work. The OHRC has long recognized the serious impact of sexual harassment on its victims, and on an organization’s morale and overall productivity.

In a decision released May 27, 2015, the Divisional Court has dismissed the applications for judicial review in de Lottinville and Kodama, matters in which the OHRC intervened.

Toronto - Several news outlets have recently quoted a Toronto Police Service (TPS) news release regarding body-worn cameras: http://torontopolice.on.ca/newsreleases/31840 That release says, in part: The Service has partnered with the Information & Privacy Commissioner, the Ontario Human Rights Commission, the Ministry of the Attorney General and the Toronto Police Association to develop a procedure that addresses issues of privacy, retention, and disclosure.  This statement is not accurate.

Editor, The Toronto Star This week Mark Saunders was sworn in as Chief of the Toronto Police Service. He arrived amid a controversy that marred his predecessor’s final days and one that refuses to go away – the police procedure commonly known as “carding.” As Chief Saunders starts down this new road he has a choice – to hear the voices of the community and work to end racial profiling or to allow a deeply troubling practice to continue.

Toronto2015: Let’s build an accessibility legacy The upcoming Pan Am and Parapan Am Games are an exciting opportunity to showcase the many ways Ontario is a world leader. One notable accomplishment should be our ability to welcome and include guests and residents of all backgrounds and abilities. The Games offer a good opportunity to raise awareness about what Ontario and its municipalities are doing to promote and enhance accessibility.

Dear Mr. Speaker, Under Section 31.6 (2) of the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Ontario Human Rights Commission is required to submit a report on the Commission’s activities for the previous fiscal period by June 30th of each year, to be tabled in the Legislature. In this regard, I am pleased to provide you with the Commission’s Annual Report of its activities from April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015.

                 

We offered written advice Every year, the OHRC makes submissions on legislation, regulations and other issues. We also write to organizations and communities across Ontario and issue statements to offer advice, note concerns and clarify human rights issues. Here are some highlights for 2015-2016:

Adding the personal touch We provided education to more than 7,800 people at 90 events across Ontario. Target audiences included private- and public-sector employers, human resources professionals and unions; health, education, police, corrections, housing, newcomer support and other service providers; mediators, regulatory bodies; arbitrators and lawyers.

From hockey to policing: OHRC interventions We continue to intervene in cases in the courts and tribunals, when we think the case decision could affect a wider number of people or groups, or advance human rights law. Here are some highlights:

Moving forward on the Correctional Services’ Human Rights Project Charter We continued our work with the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (Correctional Services) and the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services (MGCS) on a Human Rights Project Charter. This long-term organizational change project, which arose from the settlement of a long-standing human rights complaint, has now been extended to 2017.

Mental health disabilities, addictions and human rights take centre stage in Ontario In summer 2014, along with its partners at Ryerson University, the OHRC released its new Policy on preventing discrimination based on mental health disabilities and addictions. This policy provides user-friendly guidance on how to define, assess, handle and resolve human rights issues related to mental health and addiction disabilities.

April 22, 2015 - The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) welcomes the government’s commitment to find solutions to public concerns with police record checks. The OHRC agrees that there is a lack of consistency with the various levels of record checks and their purposes, as well as the types of information disclosed, which creates confusion for everyone.

Policy on preventing discrimination because of mental health disabilities and addictions overview and Q&A. 

Dear Chief Blair, I am writing further to the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s (OHRC) deputation to the Toronto Police Service Board (TPSB) on April 2, 2015 in regards to the revised Policy and Procedure on Community Engagements. You will recall, at the TPSB meeting on April 2, 2015, I said on behalf of the OHRC:

February 19, 2015 - Dear Dr. Leet, The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has reviewed the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario’s (CPSO) new draft policy, Professional Obligations and Human Rights.

Racial profiling by the Toronto Police Service is a recognized problem in need of an effective solution. I am very disappointed that what appeared to be progress, in the Board’s 2014 policy, has failed to materialize.

Not just today – let’s challenge racism every day It’s easy to identify discrimination when we hear hateful slurs or overt forms of bigotry. However, there are also many examples of more subtle – but equally pernicious – racism and racial discrimination. There’s the judge who asks a Black woman in court where her lawyer is. In fact, the woman is the lawyer waiting for her client. A Middle Eastern woman takes a seat at an empty restaurant. A White customer who enters after her is served first.

Employers have a duty to accommodate an employee’s creed to the point of undue hardship, including by providing time off for religious holidays.