Media Room

A Bias For Action

In 2004, the Commission entered another phase of its transformation process with the creation of a Proactive Initiatives Team. Its mandate is to think outside the box by deploying new tools to protect and promote human rights outside the traditional complaints framework.

The objective is to try to resolve human rights issues primarily through research, study and dialogue, and to look into and propose action on systemic issues that have an impact on a group of people or on the overall human rights system. The Commission may undertake a special study or inquiry on a particular matter or carry out a round of public consultations. This approach builds on past initiatives such as Protecting Their Rights, a special report to Parliament in 2004 on the human rights situation of women in federal prisons.

The Commission’s Proactive Initiatives Team is currently studying three issues: repeal of section 67 of the Canadian Human Rights Act; telephone access for people who are deaf or have hearing impairment; and hate on the Internet.

Section 67 of the Canadian Human Rights Act restricts the ability of First Nations people living on reserve to file a complaint against First Nations or the federal government. The Commission has long sought repeal of this section. Commissioner Kelly Russ, who has experience in Aboriginal legal and rights issues, has been asked to prepare a report on section 67 and how it should be replaced.

Making a phone call to get information from a government department is often difficult for Canadians who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing, or who have a speech impediment. The Commission is studying this problem and will work with the government to foster equal access for all.

The Commission has been receiving an increasing number of complaints under section 13 of the Act, which prohibits transmitting hate messages through the Internet. The Commission’s long-term strategy to deal with this issue will include making the best possible use of the Commission’s own legal powers and working with other groups to encourage a better understanding of the dangers of hate on the Internet.

Results on each of these proactive initiatives will be posted on our website as they become available.