A judge says the Human Rights Commission must accept a complaint launched by an accessibility group over alleged systemic discrimination by the province. The Commission tried to refer the group to the provincial ombudsman with its complaint about wheelchair access in restaurants and bars.
Commission lawyers argued it would be overwhelmed if every inquiry had to be treated as a complaint…but Justice Frank Richards wrote that the group wasn’t simply making an inquiry it was lodging a complaint. The judge also questioned the Commission’s stance that it would be overwhelmed if it wasn’t able to refuse to accept some complaints. Judge Richards pointed out there’s nothing in the Act allowing it to refuse.