The Ontario Human Rights Code says the OHRC can conduct an inquiry to:
- Look into incidents of tension or conflict, or conditions that lead or may lead to incidents of tension or conflict in a community, institution or sector of the economy and to make recommendations, and encourage and coordinate plans, programs and activities, to reduce or prevent such incidents or sources of tension or conflict
- Look into programs, policy and practices made under statute, for consistency with the Code, and make recommendations.
Inquiries can be large or small, simple or complex. They could include:
- Private letters to an organization or group of organizations asking about an issue and requesting a response or more information
- Public meetings
- Online-questionnaires or feedback forms
- Fact-finding, investigation, and requesting and obtaining information
- Media and other public launches
- Interim reporting on progress
- Formal inquiry reports.
Right to Read inquiry report
The Right to Read: Public inquiry into human rights issues affecting students with reading disabilities report calls for critical changes to Ontario’s approach to early reading, in areas such as curriculum and instruction, screening, reading interventions, accommodations and professional assessments.
OHRC releases new video with update on the Right to Read inquiry
A new OHRC video provides a snapshot of the progress of Right to Read, the OHRC’s public inquiry into human rights issues affecting students with reading disabilities in Ontario’s public education system. The video also features the real-life experiences of students and parents, who attended public sessions across Ontario in the past year, and artwork submitted by students to the inquiry. A final report with findings and recommendations is planned for Spring 2021.
Update: the Right to Read inquiry
The OHRC has made solid progress on its Right to Read inquiry. The evidence-gathering phase is mostly complete, and the inquiry team is now analyzing the large amount of data, information and documents received and drafting a final report.
A Disparate Impact: Second interim report on the inquiry into racial profiling and racial discrimination of Black persons by the Toronto Police Service
A Disparate Impact, the second interim report in the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s inquiry into racial profiling and racial discrimination of Black persons by the Toronto Police Service (TPS), confirms that Black people are more likely than others to be arrested, charged, over-charged, struck, shot or killed by Toronto police.
Public inquiry into racial profiling and racial discrimination of Black persons by the Toronto Police Service
The OHRC is conducting a public inquiry into racial profiling and racial discrimination of Black persons by the Toronto Police Service.
Right to Read: public inquiry into human rights issues affecting students with reading disabilities
The OHRC is conducting a public inquiry into potential human rights issues that affect students with reading disabilities in Ontario’s public education system.
Inquiries launched into rental housing licensing in North Bay, Waterloo
Toronto – Two public interest inquiries by the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) will explore if new rental housing licensing bylaws in North Bay and Waterloo create discriminatory barriers to rental housing. New bylaws in the two municipalities come into force in the next few months – Waterloo’s on April 1, 2012 and North Bay’s on May 1, 2012.