The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario was established as a direct access
tribunal to adjudicate discrimination claims under 2006 amendments to the
Human Rights Code. Its rules, forms and processes were designed to support
self-drafted applications and responses from unrepresented parties. The statute
provides that no claim within HRTO jurisdiction can be dismissed without an oral
hearing. The HRTO typically receives approximately 4,500 new applications a
year. The HRTO is now one of 13 tribunals within Tribunals Ontario.
As noted in the materials below, some of the main concerns about the HRTO are
about long delays, unjustified early dismissals of applications without a full
hearing, and new appointed members without subject matter expertise or
adjudication skills or experience. SAPOLT