On December 15 and 16, the Canadian Human Rights Commission hosted a conference about hate on the Internet. The Chief Commissioner, Mary Gusella, gave the opening address to launch the two-day meeting.

For the Commission, hate on the Internet poses a serious threat that requires action. Since it constitutes discrimination under section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Commission has the mandate and authority to combat this form of hate propaganda under the Act. It therefore does not hesitate to investigate cases brought to its attention and, if necessary, to refer them to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. It should be noted that, in one case referred to the Tribunal recently, the Commission obtained an interlocutory injunction from the Federal Court to prevent the respondent from transmitting messages via the Internet until the Tribunal has issued its final decision.

The December conference brought together people and organizations concerned about this issue: police officers, educators, lawyers, lobby groups, representatives from the federal government, and Canadian and international experts. It was an opportunity to discuss the issues as well as the approaches and experiences of various stakeholders. Most of all, the conference laid the groundwork for future information sharing and improved coordination of efforts.