B.C. boosts funding for Human Rights Tribunal

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Jacqui Mendes, the society's executive director, said the organization welcomes the increase, noting awareness of human rights services in B.C. is likely a main contributor to the increase.

"Demand has always outstripped the ability to meet that need,"she said in an interview Wednesday.

Mendes said the group won't be able to quantify the funding's impact until the provincial budget is announced in February. But she said she's certain most of the funds will go to the tribunal.

"We have to say, [that is]absolutely deserved. There's been a major logjam at the tribunal, which has caused months and years of delay for clients awaiting hearings, so we welcome that,"she said.

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"Our focus really is on accessibility and access to justice, and we welcome anything that enables us to continue to support that mandate."

The tribunal released a report in 2020 that found the number of Indigenous peoplefiling human rights complaints was disproportionately low, and, in response, the province added Indigenous identity as a protected ground under the B.C. Human Rights Code.

The province said in the statement that the funding will also support the tribunal's ongoing work to implement the recommendations outlined in the report.

"This much-needed funding will help the tribunal better meet the specific needs of Indigenous Peoples and better meet the increased demands for resolution of discrimination complaints, ensuring everyone who needs it can access appropriate recourse under the B.C. Human Rights Code,"Emily Ohler, chair of the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal, said in a statement.