Ontario Human Rights Commission

The Ontario Human Rights Commission was established in the Canadian province of Ontario on March 29, 1961 to administer the Ontario Human Rights Code. The commission is an arm's length agency of government accountable to the legislature through the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario.

The commission'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. The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) is an independent adjudicative agency of the Ontario government and is entirely separate from the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC).

There is a full-time chief commissioner and a varying number of part-time commissioners, appointed by Order-in-Council. Staff of the commission is appointed under the Public Service of Ontario Act, 2006.

Barbara Hall was appointed chief commissioner effective November 28, 2005, 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.

The mission

The Ontario Human Rights Commission is committed to the elimination of discrimination in society by providing the people of Ontario with strong leadership and quality service:

in the effective enforcement of the Ontario Human......

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