The Savings and Credit Unions Act of Quebec, 1963

Abstract

The Ontario Human Rights Code represents an attempt by the legislators of this province to protect its citizens and residents from discrimination in the areas of housing, employment, and public accommodations. It is not a perfect instrument designed to cover all violations of human rights but deals, instead, with the types of discrimination to which minority groups are particularly vulnerable. In administering this legislation the commission places a distinct priority on persuasion and conciliation and uses sanctions only when the expressed desires of the public are purposely being thwarted. This dual approach is an acknowledgement of the fact that civil and criminal procedures, by themselves, do not change prejudiced individuals who would deny fundamental rights to their fellow man. To obtain the optimum benefit from this approach, we feel that enforcement and conciliation procedures must be wedded to a broadly based educational programme. While the commission is primarily responsible for enforcing the legislation and preventing discrimination, it is nevertheless strongly committed to creating a climate of understanding and respect among all races, creeds, and national groups in this province. The establishment of this climate can be greatly assisted, or deterred, by individual members of the legal profession.