What happens after I file my Reply?

If you've already filed your Reply, steps one through three are complete. This page outlines the rest of the notification process as conducted by the Nunavut Human Rights Tribunal.

Review

Tribunal staff will review your Reply to make sure that necessary information has been provided such as:

  • Your contact information;
  • the document is signed;
  • your version of events;
  • your supporting documents; and
  • when necessary or requested, documentation is translated into the language of the Party’s choice.

If requested, the Tribunal will arrange for translation of documents to another official language.

A copy of your Reply will be sent to the Applicant. If your Reply raises anything new or makes allegations against in the Applicant, the Applicant may have a chance respond to your Reply.

The Notification and your Reply are reviewed by a Tribunal member (referred to as the Part 4 Review). This review is completed to decide whether to continue with proceedings or dismiss the Notification using the following criteria set out in section 23 and 24 of the Act. The Tribunal looks at whether:

  • the events occurred within the last 2 years;
  • the issue should be dealt with under other legislation;
  • the complaint is very minor, not understandable or made for improper reasons;
  • the actions being complained about are based on at least one of the prohibited grounds;
  • there is no evidence of discrimination or facts that are not in dispute clearly provide a defence; or
  • the Applicant was offered a reasonable settlement.

The Tribunal will provide a written decision of the Part 4 Review to both you the Respondent and the Applicant. The decision will either be to continue with proceedings or to dismiss the Notification.

Mediation or public hearing

If the Notification is continued the Tribunal may then try to settle the Notification using Tribunal members, independent mediators, and/or community elders.

When appropriate the Tribunal will encourage you and the Applicant to enter into mediation with a mediator provided by the Tribunal to try to settle the matter.

If the matter is settled and a settlement agreement is made, you and the Applicant are required to fulfill the settlement agreement and the Notification is finished.

If no settlement is reached, the Tribunal will hold a formal, public hearing on the Notification. A Tribunal member who has had no contact with you or the Applicant during Notification and review process will be assigned to conduct the hearing. At the hearing, you and the Applicant may give evidence under oath and call witnesses who will also give evidence under oath, similar to a court of law. Documents can also be used as evidence in the hearing. You and/or the Applicant may have a lawyer at the hearing.

After hearing evidence and the arguments from you and the Applicant, the Tribunal will decide whether discrimination or harassment has occurred and what should be done to correct the situation.

Final written decision

A written decision is made documenting the evidence that was heard and how the law was applied. If the decision finds that there was discrimination or harassment, the Tribunal can order a party to:

  • pay the victim money to compensate them for the discrimination or harassment;
  • stop the prohibited conduct or prevent it from happening in future;
  • undertake a system wide program to address the discrimination; or
  • take any other corrective action the Tribunal feels is just.

Orders of the Tribunal are enforceable in the Nunavut Court of Justice.

The Notification process is represented in this flow chart.