Litigating Human Rights, Labour and Employment Cases before Federal Tribunals

On November 25, 2019, the Ontario Bar Association Constitutional, Civil Liberties and Human Rights Section joined the Young Lawyers’ Division in Ottawa to hold a program on appearing before federal administrative tribunals on human rights, employment, and labour issues. On the panel were two adjudicators and two lawyers: Lisa Addario, a member from the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB); Chantal Homier-Nehmé, a member of the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Employment Board (FPSLREB); Brian Smith, counsel for the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC); and Jean-Michel Corbeil, a lawyer in private practice at Goldblatt Partners LLP.

The panelists offered excellent information and advice on appearing before federal administrative tribunals, useful both for newer calls and for experienced lawyers. Among the issues covered were the correct forum for litigating disputes, the speed of dispute resolution before the various tribunals, and practice tips for counsel appearing before the tribunals.