Area of Law: Human Rights Code
Established in 2017, the Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) is an independent not-for-profit community legal clinic, funded by Legal Aid Ontario, that combats individual and systemic anti-Black racism by providing free legal services, conducting research, developing public legal education materials, and engaging in test case litigation and law reform. To learn more about BLAC, check out their website here: www.blacklegalactioncentre.ca
In this project, students will expand a resource which will help clients complete applications regarding discrimination, specifically anti-Black racism, in services, accommodation (i.e. housing, occupancy), contracts, and employment. The goal of this project will to allow clients to help themselves, since BLAC regularly receives requests for assistance with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) applications than the clinic can fulfill. The resource should allow clients to answer relatively straightforward/plain language questions and receive a completed form which is ready to be reviewed by BLAC and/or filed at the HRTO.
The form currently exists in Google Form. The student will investigate potential tech solutions for this for this resource, such as a more complex AI/wizard. The student can look at other examples of similar tools (Steps to Justice, Human Rights Legal Support Centre, etc.) or see if there is a software engineer/tech company willing to volunteer to help. Additionally, the student will research how the HRTO may be using administrative processes (notice of intent to dismiss) to unjustly dismiss applications on the basis that they "fall outside their mandate," and try to address this through the resource. For example, the resource should ask specific questions to try and find the nexus between the 'unfairness' the person is experiencing and the related ground of discrimination.
The student will also research decisions from the HRTO that address anti-Black racism to update BLAC's HRTO decision tracking chart.