The CHRT continues to provide services to the public during the pandemic; Hearings and mediations are held via videoconference or telephone in almost all cases.
Please read this message from the Acting Chairperson for the latest updates on the Tribunal’s operations during the COVID-19 pandemic situation.
New Rules of Procedure Under the Canadian Human Rights Act
We are pleased to announce that new Rules of Procedure (“Rules”) to govern all CHRT proceedings under the Canadian Human Rights Act came into effect on July 11, 2021.
While these Rules replace the former Rules of Procedure, parties are advised that, for the foreseeable future, there will be a period of transition.
- Cases referred to the Tribunal prior to July 11, 2021, will continue to proceed under the Rules which were in place at the time of the referral, unless all parties agree to adopt the new Rules instead.
- Cases referred to the Tribunal on or after July 11, 2021, will automatically proceed under the new Rules.
We encourage you to consult the following resources to obtain further guidance on these new Rules:
- a summary of the main changes provides an overview of the new additions to the Rules;
- a table of comparison details the differences between both sets of Rules; and
- Frequently Asked Questions offer information on how the Tribunal will be proceeding during this period of transition.
We also invite you to check our website in the upcoming weeks, where several new practice notes and forms will be added to provide additional guidance on the new Rules.
At this time, we wish to thank all those who contributed to these new Rules by participating in the consultations which ran during the fall of 2020. Your input is greatly appreciated!
“I would like to file a complaint.”
The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal does not receive complaints directly.
The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) has a statutory mandate to apply the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) based on the evidence presented and on the case law.
Created by Parliament in 1977, the Tribunal legally decides whether a person or organization has engaged in a discriminatory practice under the Act. The purpose of the CHRA is to protect individuals from discrimination. It states that all Canadians have the right to equality, equal opportunity, fair treatment, and an environment free of discrimination.
The CHRT applies these principles to cases that are referred to it by the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC). The Tribunal is similar to a court of law, but is less formal and only hears cases relating to discrimination.
Pay Equity Act
On August 31, 2021, the Pay Equity Act came into force. This Act requires employers to take a proactive approach to give men and women equal pay for doing work of equal value. The purpose is to achieve pay equity for employees in jobs commonly held by women.
The CHRT has two roles under the Pay Equity Act:
- the Pay Equity Commissioner can refer an important question of law or jurisdiction to the CHRT to determine; and
- an employer, bargaining agent or other affected person may appeal some of the Pay Equity Commissioner’s decisions or orders to the CHRT.
You can find more information on the Pay Equity Commissioner’s role on the Commissioner’s web page.
The CHRT is developing a Pay Equity Act Practice Direction to provide procedural guidance to parties involved in appeals and referred questions. We will soon post a link to the Practice Direction on this webpage. The Practice Direction is an important step in the development of Pay Equity Act Rules of Procedure. The CHRT will be inviting public feedback on these documents.
In the meantime, should you require any further information, we invite you to contact us at the following e-mail address: chrt-tcdp-information@tribunal.gc.ca.
Complaints and Appeals under the Accessible Canada Act
The Accessible Canada Act received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019.
News Release: Canada’s first federal accessibility legislation comes into force (July 11, 2019)
The CHRT’s new role and new complaints and appeals process under the Accessible Canada Act (ACA)
What's New
NOTICE
The Tribunal has developed a Policy on Access to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) Official Record, effective May 1, 2020. To submit any comment, suggestion or question, please send an e-mail to: CHRTrules-TCDPregles@chrt-tcdp.gc.ca
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