Whereas the BC Human Rights Tribunal plays a critical role in upholding and addressing human rights by delivering the just and timely resolution of discrimination complaints under the British Columbia Human Rights Code Tribunal Annual Report, 202324, pg. 3; And whereas a large backlog of complaints and a growing volume of new submissions has led to extensive adjudication delays that exacerbate the harm experienced by complainants, leaving British Columbians without timely support or closure; And whereas additional provincial funding committed in 2023 has improved timelines but is nonetheless proving insufficient in effectively processing existing and new case files: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask that the Province of British Columbia act immediately on Recommendation 12a of the BC Office of the Human Rights Commissioners From Hate to Hope report, namely that The Attorney General should take steps to enable the BC Human Rights Tribunal to be more responsive to hate, including by: a. Ensuring adequate funding to the Tribunal to effectively process complaints.
Ministry of Attorney General Government recognizes the critical importance of preventing and responding to hate with appropriate oversight, ensuring this work is coordinated across ministries and situated effectively within its structure. Since 2017, government has established six significant branches at the Assistant Deputy Minister and Deputy Minister levels, working collaboratively to take an intersectional approach to address hate based on gender, race, religion, Indigeneity, sexual orientation, disability, social condition, and more. In 2023, the BC Human Rights Tribunal received additional funding, enabling the hiring of new members and staff to tackle a backlog of cases that had accumulated during the COVID-19 period. The Tribunal implemented a backlog reduction strategy focused on three key areas: the Covid Case Project, which resolved nearly a thousand pandemic-related complaints and reduced those cases by 75 percent; the Outstanding Dismissal Applications Project, which resulted in approximately 200 dismissal decisions in 20242025; and the Screening Inventory Project, which streamlined processes and reduced complaints from 1,830 to 343 by the end of fiscal 20242025. Overall, these efforts have significantly curbed backlog growth, reducing it by 50 percent compared to the previous year, even as the Tribunal received 500 new cases. To further reduce delays, the Tribunal launched a Mediation Program, adding 20 mediators to its roster for fiscal year 20252026 to increase settlement rates and improve efficiency. With increased capacity and improved processes, the Tribunal anticipates that delays will stabilize or continue to decline this year, depending on new case volumes. Government remains committed to supporting the Tribunal through resource development and ongoing collaboration to ensure adequate resourcing and sustained progress in reducing backlog.