What is the Ontario’s Human Rights Code? Who are all the different Human Rights organizations?

The HRLSC’s “Ontario’s Human Rights System explained” video is here to help!

Watch our video on Ontario’s human rights system here or on YouTube.

Title card: Ontario’s Human Rights System Explained

Brought to you by the Human Rights Legal Support Centre

Let’s start at the top: The Ontario Human Rights Code—the first legislation of its kind in Canada—outlines a list of 17 protected grounds across several protected areas in our lives. In other words, it outlines the kinds of things that individuals and organizations are prohibited from discriminating against in Ontario, and the contexts in which the Code can be applied. These grounds include race, age, disability, sex, gender identity, and creed in social areas including housing, employment, and receiving goods and services. So, if you believe you’ve been treated unfairly on the basis of any of these grounds in Ontario, that may be considered discrimination.

Today, the Ontario Human Rights Code is upheld by three pillars, each with a unique function and role: the Ontario Human Rights Commission, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, and the Human Rights Legal Support Centre.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission is responsible for protecting and advancing human rights in our province at a high level through a variety of means: from education to policy development to launching human rights related inquiries. The Commission is concerned with the state of human rights across Ontario more generally, and doesn’t deal with specific or individual human rights disputes.

For that, we need to turn to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, who will hear your human rights complaints—sort of like a court. The Tribunal will decide whether or not you’ve been discriminated against, and may grant remedies accordingly, including, but not limited to, financial compensation and human rights training, depending on the specifics of your case.

As experts on the human rights system in Ontario, we know that you may have a lot of questions when filing, or deciding to file, a human rights complaint to the HRTO. That’s why we have the Human Rights Legal Support Centre, an organization that offers free legal services at every stage of a human rights dispute—in over 140 different languages including Cree, Oji-Cree, Mohawk and Ojibway, with plenty of other accommodations for accessibility. So whether you’re seeking representation at a tribunal hearing, looking for an early resolution, or just asking some questions about the application process for filing a complaint, the HRLSC is available to help.

At a glance, Ontario’s Human Rights System might seem complicated, but every piece of the puzzle is there for a reason: to support and uphold the rights of the people of Ontario. So: if you or someone you know is experiencing discrimination, you know exactly where to go.

Visit hrlsc.on.ca/getting-started to learn more.

The Ontario Human Rights Code (Code) is a provincial anti-discrimination law that applies to workplaces, housing, services, goods and facilities, as well as to contracts or agreements and to membership in trade or vocational associations.

Ontario’s human rights system is made up of three separate agencies. Firstly, the Ontario Human Rights Commission works to promote, protect and advance human rights through research, education and policy development. Next, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario is where human rights applications are filed and decided. Lastly, the Human Rights Legal Support Centre gives legal help to people who may have experienced discrimination under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

To learn more:

  • To find out more about the HRLSC’s services and where to start with a human rights application, visit our Getting Started page.
  • For a more detailed explanation of each of these agencies and what they do, please read our “Ontario’s Human Rights System” page, part of our How-to Guides section.
  • To find out if the Code applies to your situation, please complete our Decision Tree questionnaire.