Human Rights

At Turnpenney Milne LLP we have acted as counsel in both the provincial and federal jurisdictions under the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act.

We understand the need for an employer to be proactive when dealing with the issue of discrimination and harassment in order to prevent complaints and applications from being filed.

Human rights complaints/applications can affect employee morale, present a reputational risk to an organization and can permanently impact a workplace. It is essential that as an employer you have a counsel that understands not just the contents of the applicable human rights legislation but also the spirit and intent. There are human rights implications that arise in many of the non-human rights decisions made by employers. We seek to identify those issues in advance so that we can minimize the risk of allegations of indirect or adverse effect discrimination.

If a breach of human rights legislation is alleged, and where some risk is identified, we strive to provide you with practical, cost-effective solutions that will address your needs and interests without having the matter escalate and result in significant legal costs.

Where an application/complaint is brought and has no merit, we understand the various Rules of Procedure governing the federal and provincial tribunals and how best to utilize those Rules. We will use our knowledge of the Rules of Procedure to strategize how best to approach the case and once the strategy is in place, vigorously defend your position.