Event : 35th anniversary of the Human Rights Tribunal
Created in 1990 by the Quebec Charter, to which it is inextricably linked, the Human Rights Tribunal has been administering justice for 35 years. Composed of judges and assessors with extensive experience, expertise, awareness, and interest in rights and freedoms, the Tribunal is a unique institution whose initial mandate is to interpret and enforce the right to equality and protections against discriminatory harassment and exploitation of seniors and persons with disabilities. This study day is an opportunity to take stock of how far we have come and to reflect on some of the many interpretive challenges posed by the Charter 50 years after its adoption.
Date : Tuesday, December 9th, 2025, from 8.30 am to 5 pm 9
Location: Plaza Centre-Ville, 777 Blvd Robert-Bourassa, Montréal, QC H3C 3Z7
For members of the Bar, the day is eligible for mandatory continuing training (6 hours in ethics and professional conduct).
Program :
8:15 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.: Welcome to participants
8:45 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.: Introduction by the Acting President of the Human Rights Tribunal
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.: The Charter and International Law: the Importance of Origins and the Temptation to Forget Them
10:00 a.m. - 10:20 a.m.: Break
10:20 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.: The Challenges of Designing Administrative Justice: the Influence of the Judicial Model on the Human Rights Tribunal
11:20 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.: The Constitutional Applicability of the Quebec Charter to Federal enterprises: the Scope of Possibilities for the Human Rights Tribunal
12:20 p.m. - 1:35 p.m.: Lunch
1:35 p.m. - 2:35 p.m.: Has the Right to Equality Become a Vector of Gender Inequality? Reflections in Light of the Decisions in Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (Bellemare) v. Club de soccer Les Braves d’Ahuntsic and Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 3333 v. Réseau de transports de Longueuil.
2:35 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.: Break
2:50 p.m. - 3:50 p.m.: The Judiciary as a Bulwark Against Racial Profiling
3:50 p.m. - 4:50 p.m.: Equality and Discrimination: What about Section 9.1 of the Quebec Charter?
4:50 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.: Closing Remarks by the Acting President of the Human Rights Tribunal
5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.: Alcohol-free cocktail reception
To register and consult the full program, click here.