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Special issue of Canadian Diversity talks about competing human rights

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December 9, 2010

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Toronto - As society evolves, we see more and more cases where rights based on one ground of the Human Rights Code seem to conflict with rights of another ground. The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC), along with many partners, is working to find answers.

Finding a workable balance between competing rights requires “considering the possibility of a solution.” That‘s the first big step to resolving our differences and building a society that recognizes the human rights of all.

The essays in this special issue of Canadian Diversity help us to take that first step. Each contributor offers insights into the nature of competing human rights claims and ideas on how to build a framework for addressing them in Ontario and across Canada.

In March 2010, the OHRC, in partnership with the York University Centre for Public Policy and the Law, held a Policy Dialogue on Competing Human Rights Claims. This was the first step to develop an OHRC policy on balancing competing rights.

Community and advocacy groups joined academics, lawyers and policy makers to discuss what competing human rights claims look like and how to handle them to protect the human rights of all. The dialogue papers included in this issue reflect this, and also reflect the many different perspectives even among the experts.

This special edition of Canadian Diversity, published in both English and French, is available online at www.ohrc.on.ca.