TORONTO, April 20, 2015 – The Human Rights Legal Support Centre was in Ontario’s Divisional Court defending two cases today involving decisions of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.
In the first case, on behalf of Mr. DeLottinville, the Centre asked the court to uphold the Human Rights Tribunal decision in Claybourn v Toronto Police allowing a claimant to file a human rights application even where a complaint has been filed under the Police Services Act. In Claybourn v Toronto Police, the Centre successfully argued at the Tribunal that, as the Police Services Act only deals with discipline against an individual officer, DeLottinville has a right to advance his human rights claim.
“Employment-related discipline offers no remedy for the person harmed. At the Human Rights Tribunal, a claimant can ask for both personal compensation and concrete changes to an organization’s practices. We are simply asking the Court to uphold the Tribunal’s decision and allow Mr. DeLottinville to present evidence of his discrimination claim,” argued Kathy Laird, Executive Director of the Centre.
Intervenors in OPP v. DeLottinville include the African Canadian Legal Clinic, Metro Toronto Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic, the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario, the Ontario Human Rights Commission and the Office of the Independent Police Review Director.
The second case (K.M. v Kodama), involving the ability of K.M to advance a human rights claim despite a complaint to the College of Physicians and Surgeons, will follow OPP v. DeLottinville tomorrow, April 21.
The Human Rights Legal Support Centre provides free legal support to people across Ontario whose human rights under Ontario’s Human Rights Code have been violated.
Read the full media release on Canada Newswire