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B’nai Brith Canada calls on Parliament to undertake review of Canadian Human Rights Commission, following tabling of today’s reportPosted On 06/11/09
TORONTO, June 11, 2009 – B’nai Brith Canada has characterized as “coming up short” the recommendations contained in the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) report on Freedom of Expression and Freedom from Hate released earlier today.
“While we are pleased that the Commission acknowledged the significant problems in the system and undertook a process of review, we feel that its recommendations did not go far enough to address these issues,” said Frank Dimant, Executive Vice President of B’nai Brith Canada. “What the Commission is recommending is, in essence, cosmetic tinkering to deal with a human rights system that is in need of a major overhaul.
“The Commission fails to address head on the need for strong enforcement of procedural protections and instead focuses on legislative amendments, which would not be necessary if an active enforcement regime of current policies was already in place. For example, amending section 41 of the Canadian Human Rights Act to allow for the early dismissal of frivolous complaints is a power that the Commission already holds. Its suggestion to add definitions of hatred and contempt under Section 13 is yet another example of skirting the need for actual reform as these definitions already exist under the governing decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada.
“Conspicuously absent from the report are many of B’nai Brith’s key recommendations, notable amongst them the urgent need to educate and train staff so that they have a keen understanding of the geo-political context within which they operate. A training and awareness campaign is essential if investigators are to recognize frivolous complaints at the outset and act accordingly. As well, while the Commission identifies ‘forum shopping’ as a problem, that is the filing of complaints in more than one jurisdiction, it offers no concrete recommendations on how to resolve this problem.
“We urge the Commission to implement a full package of substantive reform, so that it does not leave the door wide open for future ongoing abuses. We call on Parliament to examine in Committee the report tabled today and be guided by the many recommendations submitted by B’nai Brith Canada in its report to Prof. Richard Moon.”
B’nai Brith Canada’s full submission to Prof. Richard Moon, along with its recommendations for reform, is accessible on the organization’s website at http://www.bnaibrith.ca/files/290808.htm.
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For further information contact Karen Lazar, National Director of Communications:
416-633-6224 X 140 office / 416-312-9173 cell
B’nai Brith Canada has been active in Canada since 1875
as the Jewish community’s foremost human rights organization
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