5. Prepare for your hearing
Question & Answer
How do I make a claim to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario?The sends you a Confirmation of Hearing with the date, time, and place for the hearing. It gives the deadlines for sharing information about evidence.
Collect your evidence
The Tribunal decides your claim based on the evidence at the hearing. The information in your is not evidence.
You need to prove that:
- your employer, landlord, representative, or provider acted in a way that went against your human rights, and
- this caused you to lose money or be hurt in other ways
You prove this by bringing evidence to your hearing.
Your evidence can be:
- witnesses who say what they know about events that happened or how those events affected you
- documents and communications (for example, letters or emails)
You can also bring evidence in other formats. For example, you might have photographs, videos, or audio recordings that help prove your claim. The person who took the photograph or made the recording must come to the hearing.
Follow the rules
The Tribunal has detailed rules about what information you have to give about your evidence before the hearing. If you don't follow these rules, the Tribunal can refuse to use your evidence. They can also dismiss your claim without a hearing if you don't follow the rules.
Ask for accommodation
Contact the Tribunal if you need the Tribunal do something so there won't be any barriers for you at the hearing. For example, you might need:
- a language interpreter
- because of a or other reason related to your human rights
- to start late or end early because you have to take care of a child
At the hearing
You might have a lawyer or paralegal to represent you. If not, you present your own case.
If you are presenting your own case, it's a good idea to read the Human Rights Legal Support Centre's Applicant’s Guide to Preparing for a Hearing and the Tribunal’s Guide to preparing for a hearing. These guides will help you know what to expect and what to do at the hearing.
The Tribunal member doesn't usually decide the claim at the hearing. The Tribunal sends you the decision in writing later.