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Submissions

The OHRC regularly makes submissions to various levels of government (provincial, federal and municipal) on laws or regulations that are being considered.

These submissions generally involve looking at the draft laws from a human rights perspective. The OHRC also makes submissions to international bodies like the United Nations, to other organization’s consultation and research projects, and to legal commissions and inquiries.

  1. Submission to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing on land use planning and appeal system review

    January 2014 - The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has used a range of its functions to reduce and eliminate discrimination relating to land use planning. However, to meet Ministry goals and be consistent with Ontario’s Human Rights Code, the land use planning and appeal system needs to incorporate a human rights lens and provide human rights-related information, education and resources to those who implement and use the system. Planners and decision-makers throughout the system and in municipalities will benefit from clear guidance from the Province.

  2. Letter to the Toronto Police Services Board regarding the practice of carding

    January 13, 2014

    Thank you for receiving the Commission’s deputation on racial profiling and carding on November 18, 2013. We understand that the Toronto Police Services Board (the TPSB”) has retained Frank Addario to provide an independent legal opinion on carding, and that he has a broad mandate to look at “the entire process of interactions between police officers and members of the public”.

  3. Submission of the Ontario Human Rights Commission to the Independent Review of the use of lethal force by the Toronto Police Service

    February 2014 - People with mental health disabilities are often among the most vulnerable people in Ontario. Many face a unique set of challenges where they live, in workplaces, or in our communities. When people are in crisis they also present a unique set of challenges to police services when considering the use of force. This leads to many concerns from a human rights perspective. It is not the role of the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) to comment on individual cases – we leave it to other experts to resolve these. But it is our role to look at common themes and concerns, and offer ways to move forward.

  4. OHRC submission to the Office of the Independent Police Review Director’s systemic review of OPP practices for DNA sampling

    April 2014 - The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) is troubled by allegations that the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) engaged in racial profiling when requesting DNA samples from approximately 100 “Indo and Afro-Caribbean” male migrant workers near Vienna, Ontario as part of a sexual assault investigation in October and November 2013.

  5. OHRC submission regarding Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) 2013-2014 Legislative review

    June 2014 - The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) is making this submission to the second independent legislative review of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). In accordance with its mandate under section 29 (c) of the Ontario Human Rights Code, the OHRC speaks out and makes recommendations designed to prevent and eliminate discriminatory practices including barriers faced by persons with disabilities. Disability is consistently the most frequent ground of discrimination cited in over 50% of applications to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.

  6. Submission of the OHRC to the Ombudsman’s Investigation into the direction provided to police by the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services for de-escalating conflict situations

    July 2014 - People with mental health disabilities are often among the most vulnerable people in Ontario. Many face a unique set of challenges where they live, in workplaces, or in our communities. When people are in crisis they also present a unique set of challenges to police services when considering the use of force. This leads to many concerns from a human rights perspective. It is not the role of the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) to comment on individual cases – we leave it to other experts to resolve these. But it is our role to look at common themes and concerns, and offer ways to move forward.

  7. Submission of the OHRC to the UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing

    Under Canada’s federal system of government, legal jurisdiction over human rights, including housing, divides between different levels of government – federal, ten provincial and three territorial governments. Municipal governments are a creation of provincial/territorial legislation. All three levels of government have responsibility to implement human rights norms and standards, including the right to housing.

  8. OHRC submission regarding MGS Consultation: Change of sex designation on a birth registration of a minor

    The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) welcomes the Ministry of Government Services’ consultation regarding change of sex designation on a birth registration of a minor. The OHRC is concerned that the current government practice – which does not allow for a change of sex designation on the birth registration and certificate of persons under age 18 – is discriminatory on the basis of gender identity and gender expression.

  9. OHRC Submission to the Ministry of Children and Youth Services Review of the Child and Family Services Act

    The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the government’s legislated review of the Child and Family Services Act (CFSA). Section 1 of Ontario’s Human Rights Code protects children from discrimination in services, because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, family status or disability.

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