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Cat. No. HR1-2003
0-662-68099-5 This publication is available in alternative formats. Back to Top
Chief Commissioner’s Message The Canadian Human Rights Commission is transforming the way it works to better protect and promote equality in Canada. The last annual report described why and how the Commission embarked on this voyage of transformation. This year, the story is about the vehicle—the business model for human rights case management—and its early success in putting us in the right direction. And, it is about the adjustments that are still needed to better steer the overall human rights system in the future. As always, the Commission seeks to advance human rights in Canada. And it offers Canadians under federal jurisdiction an avenue for resolving human rights complaints. The Commission’s new approach is already leading to better service in these areas. The striking results for 2003, including significant increases in productivity, are detailed further in this Report but I would like to highlight three of them: - The number of final decisions on human rights cases, which includes pre-Tribunal settlements, increased by 79 %.
- The average age of complaints in the caseload was reduced from 25.3 months in December of 2002 to 15.6 months in December of 2003.
- The number of cases two years old or older dropped by 48%.
In essence, the Commission is moving to focus more of its efforts and resources on human rights problems before they grow into damaging and lengthy disputes that are costly, both emotionally and financially. That means trying to resolve human rights issues early using such instruments as policies, information, training and mediation. The new approach also involves improving the investigation and decision process for handling complaints, the traditional bedrock of the Commission’s work. In 2003, the combination of an expanded mediation program, a streamlined investigation process and faster decision-making fueled the Commission’s drive toward reducing its backlog of human rights cases. Management improvements supported these changes. While these operational changes were going on, the Commission made submissions to Parliament on key human rights issues and worked to ensure that employers comply with the Employment Equity Act. This new approach is a beginning. But there is more to do. For broader change, the Commission depends on others. For instance, further improvements in handling human rights complaints hinge on co-ordinated efforts with the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and others. And legislative and regulatory changes to broaden and strengthen the human rights system will require action by Parliament and the Government of Canada. For the last 25 years, the Canadian Human Rights Act has served Canadians well. With some adjustments, it can be made even more effective in protecting human rights. The Commission’s proposals for the future are outlined in Looking Ahead at the end of this report. Taken together, these reforms are aimed at strengthening human rights, protecting the public interest and enhancing human dignity. These are values that all Canadians share. Mary GusellaChief Commissioner |