Canadian Human Rights legislation

The overarching legislation in Canada is the Canadian Human Rights Act: 

http://www.chrc.ca/equity/equity/legislation/chrc-eng.htm

An excerpt:

Purpose [of the Canadian Human Rights Act]

2. The purpose of this Act is to extend the laws in Canada to give effect,
within
the purview of matters coming within the legislative authority of
Parliament, to the
principle that all individuals should have an equal opportunity to make for
themselves the lives that they are able and wish to have, consistent with
their
duties and obligations as members of society, without being hindered in or
prevented from doing so by discriminatory practices based on race, national or
ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital
status, family
status, disability or conviction for an offence for which a pardon has been
granted. 

An Act amending the Canadian Human Rights Act received Royal Assent on May
12, 1998. The Government is expected to bring the legislation into force by
the fall of this year.

The legislation includes the following key amendments: 

*   It gives employers and service providers a duty to accommodate special
needs (such as those of  religious minorities or people with disabilities)
short of undue hardship;
*    It provides protection for complainants against retaliation through
the CHRC in addition to the current criminal remedy;
*    It makes it possible for complaints of discrimination to be filed on
multiple grounds;
*    It makes it possible for policy complaints (complaints which do not
require an individual victim of discrimination) to be filed for
discrimination related to services as well as employment.

----------------
Chuck
----
Starling Access Services
 "Access A World Of Possibility"
  e-mail: info@starlingweb.com
   URL: http://www.starlingweb.com
    Phone: 613-820-2272  FAX: 613-820-6983

Received on Thursday, 11 June 1998 08:56:03 UTC