Getting Legal Help From the Centre

The Human Rights Legal Support Centre provides legal assistance to people in communities across Ontario who believe they have experienced discrimination contrary to the Ontario Human Rights Code, and may want to file an Application to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.

Contents
  1. How do I get help from the Human Rights Legal Support Centre?
  2. What if I Already have a Complaint at the Commission?
  3. Contact Us
  4. Contact the Ontario Human Rights Commission
  5. Contact the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario
  6. Getting Other Legal Advice

How do I get help from the Human Rights Legal Support Centre?

Contact the Legal Centre if you have experienced discrimination and you would like:

  • legal assistance in completing an application to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario
  • legal advice about how to address the discrimination that you experienced

If you want legal information about your human rights, the best place to start is to visit our website at: www.hrlsc.on.ca.

The information that you need might also be available on the websites of:

If you need legal advice about your experience of discrimination or legal assistance in enforcing your human rights by filing an application to the Human Rights Tribunal, the first step is to telephone our information/advice lines:

Tel: (416) 314-6266
Toll Free: 1-866-625-5179
TTY: (416) 314-6651
TTY Toll Free: 1-866 612-8627

If you live outside the Greater Toronto Area, be sure to use our toll free lines.

Our telephone lines are open:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 9 am to 5 pm; (Closed from 12 to 1 pm)
Thursday: 2 pm to 6 pm.

Contact us by telephone and we will discuss with you how to meet your needs. The Legal Centre has partnerships with lawyers, legal clinics and other community-based service partners in communities across Ontario. We will make every effort to provide an appropriate service to you in your community.

What if I Already have a Complaint at the Commission?

Transferring a Human Rights Claim out of the Commission Process and into the Tribunal Process

People who have ongoing human rights complaints that were filed at the Commission before June 30, 2008, have the right to file a new application at the Human Rights Tribunal based on their Commission complaint. This right to re-file or transfer a Commission complaint will end on June 30, 2009.

The Human Rights Tribunal has a separate process to re-file Commission complaints at the Tribunal. See: www.hrto.ca/NEW/application/transition.asp
A special simplified application form can be used to take a human rights claim out of the Commission process and to re-file or transfer the claim to the Tribunal. Visit their web site or telephone 416-314-8419 or 1-866-598-0322.

The Human Rights Legal Support Centre can not give legal advice to people who want help in deciding whether to transfer an existing human rights complaint from the Commission to the Tribunal. The Commission has prepared information to assist people who have human rights complaints currently filed at the Commission and who are deciding whether or not to file an application at the Tribunal based on their Commission complaint. The Commission is the place to get information about the status of a complaint. The Centre does not have that information. See: /www.ohrc.on.ca/en/commission/mission/options

The Centre is not able to help claimants to complete these application forms.

Tribunal Mediation and Hearing Process

The Tribunal will offer mediation to all applicants who file applications based on human rights complaints previously filed at the Commission. Tribunal mediations will be chaired by a Tribunal adjudicator with expertise in human rights law. The mediating adjudicator will try to help the parties to achieve a settlement that meets the needs of both sides. If an application is not resolved at mediation, the Tribunal will schedule a hearing.

Please consult the Tribunal's website for information on the mediation and hearing process for transitional applications: www.hrto.ca

Legal Assistance

The primary mandate of the Centre is to provide legal services to applicants under the new application process. The Centre does not have the resources to provide legal assistance to applicants who transfer or re-file Commission complaints at the Tribunal. The Tribunal has put in place a straightforward mediation and hearing process for these transferred complaints, designed to be accessible and user-friendly for self-represented parties.

If you have transferred a Commission complaint to the Tribunal and you believe that you require legal assistance, you can contact the Lawyer Referral Service of the Law Society of Upper Canada to obtain the names of lawyers who practice human rights law. Phone (416) 947-3330 in the Toronto calling area, or toll-free (800) 268-8326 from elsewhere in Ontario.

www.lsuc.on.ca/public/a/faqs---lawyer-referral-service/

Contact the Human Rights Legal Support Centre

Contact the Legal Centre if you have experienced discrimination and you would like:

  • legal assistance in completing an application to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario
  • legal advice about how to address the discrimination that you experienced

If you want legal information about your human rights, the best place to start is to visit our website at: www.hrlsc.on.ca.

The information that you need might also be available on the websites of:

If you need legal advice about your experience of discrimination or legal assistance in enforcing your human rights by filing an application to the Human Rights Tribunal, the first step is to telephone our information/advice lines:

Tel: (416) 314-6266
Toll Free: 1-866-625-5179
TTY: (416) 314-6651
TTY Toll Free: 1-866 612-8627

If you live outside the Greater Toronto Area, be sure to use our toll free lines.

Our telephone lines are open:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 9 am to 5 pm; (Closed from 12 to 1 pm)
Thursday: 2 pm to 6 pm.

Contact us by telephone and we will discuss with you how to meet your needs. The Legal Centre has partnerships with lawyers, legal clinics and other community-based service partners in communities across Ontario. We will make every effort to provide an appropriate service to you in your community.

Contact the Ontario Human Rights Commission

If you have an inquiry about a human rights issue or if you have already filed a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Commission and require information regarding the status of your human rights complaint.

You can contact the Ontario Human Rights Commission at info@ohrc.on.ca.

You can also visit the Commission website at www.ohrc.on.ca or contact the Commission by phone or by mail as follows:

Mailing Address:
Ontario Human Rights Commission
180 Dundas Street W., 7th Floor
Toronto, ON M7A 2R9

Local: (416) 326-9511
Toll Free (outside Toronto area): 1-800-387-9080
TTY (Local): (416) 314-6526
TTY (Toll Free): 1-800-308-5561

Contact the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario

If you would like:

  • the Tribunal application form
  • the Applicant’s Guide to the Tribunal’s application process.

You can contact the Tribunal by visiting its website at : www.hrto.ca

You can also contact the Human Rights Tribunal at:

Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario
655 Bay Street, 14th floor
Toronto, ON
M7A 2A3

Local (Toronto): (416) 326-1312
Toll Free (outside Toronto Area): 1-866-598-0322
TTY (Local): (416) 326-2027
TTY (Toll Free): 1-866-607-1240
Fax: (416) 326-2199
Fax (Toll Free): 1-866-355-6099

Getting Other Legal Advice

If you require legal assistance you may wish to contact the Law Society of Upper Canada’s Lawyer Referral Service at:

1-900-565-4LRS (4577)

For $6, the Lawyer Referral Service will provide the name of a lawyer who will provide a free consultation of up to 30 minutes to help you determine your rights and options.

You may also wish to contact a community legal clinic in your area. Community legal clinics provide services to address the legal needs of of low income people and communities. Lawyers and legal workers provide information, legal advice, and legal representation. Clinics also offer public legal education and community organizing support.

To find a community legal clinic located near you, you may visit the Legal Aid Ontario website at:

www.legalaid.on.ca

You may contact the community legal clinic directly to determine if its staff can help you with your legal problem, and if you qualify financially for clinic services.