Ontario Human Rights Commission
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | March 29, 1961 |
| Type | legal |
| Jurisdiction | Province of Ontario |
| Headquarters | 180 Dundas Street West, Suite 900, Toronto, Ontario |
| Minister responsible | |
| Agency executive |
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| Key document | |
| Website | http://www.ohrc.on.ca |
The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) was established in the Canadian province of Ontario on March 29, 1961 to administer the Ontario Human Rights Code. The OHRC is an arm's length agency of government accountable to the legislature through the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario.
The OHRC's mandate under the Code includes: preventing discrimination through public education and public policy; and looking into situations where discriminatory behaviour exists.
Since June 30, 2008, all new complaints of discrimination are filed as applications with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. However, OHRC has the right to be informed of applications before the HRTO, and receives copies of all applications and responses. The OHRC can intervene in any application with the consent of the applicant; the Commission can also ask to intervene without the applicant’s consent, subject to any directions or terms that the HRTO sets after hearing from the parties. The Commission also has the right to bring its own application to the HRTO if the Commission is of the opinion that the application is in the public interest.
There is a full-time chief commissioner and a varying number of part-time commissioners, appointed by Order in Council. Staff of the OHRC is appointed under the Public Service of Ontario Act, 2006.
On February 19, 2015, the Lieutenant Governor in Council appointed Ruth Goba as Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission on an interim basis for a period of three months, effective from February 28, 2015, and ending May 27, 2015, or when a new Chief Commissioner is appointed, whichever occurs first.
Barbara Hall was chief commissioner from November 28, 2005, until February 27, 2015, replacing Keith Norton, who had led the Commission since 1996; Norton succeeded Rosemary Brown. The commission's first director, appointed in 1962, was Daniel G. Hill.
Renu Mandhane, former executive director of the University of Toronto law faculty’s international human rights program, became chief commissioner in November 2015.
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