Complaint Process
Discretionary Decisions Under the Human Rights Code
A discretionary decision means there is not one right answer. The tribunal reviews all of the information and then “exercises its discretion” about how to decide.
Most decisions that the Tribunal makes are “discretionary”.
The court will only give a remedy if the discretionary decision is patently unreasonable. Learn more about the Patent reasonableness test.
Screening out of complaint
Dela Merced v. Aluminum Curtain Wall System and another (17 July 2012), Cranbrook 21618 (BCSC)
Engler v. BC Human Rights Tribunal (11 March 2010), Vancouver S094582 (S.C.)
Andrews v. British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal, 2007 BCSC 1079
L.M.A. v. British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal, 2006 BCSC 1889
Shilander v. BC Human Rights Tribunal, 2005 BCSC 728
Sufficiency of information required in complaint – amendment allowed during screening
Lake City Casinos Ltd. v. British Columbia (Human Rights Tribunal) et al., 2006 BCSC 88
BC Court of Appeal
Chen v. Surrey (City), 2015 BCCA 57, affirming Chen v. City of Surrey, 2014 BCSC 539 (s. 22(2))
British Columbia (Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General) v. Mzite, 2014 BCCA 220, leave to appeal refused [2014] SCCA No. 358 (s. 22(3))
B.C. (Ministry of the Attorney General et al.) v. Sanghera (25 July 2013), Vancouver S130713 (B.C.S.C.); aff’d 2014 BCCA 221
BC Supreme Court
Brewers’ Distributor Ltd. v. Kenworthy, 2015 BCSC 1670 (s. 22(2))
Adolphs v. Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine, 2014 BCSC 298 (s. 22(3))
Patel v. Greater Vancouver Regional District, 2013 BCSC 2154 (s. 22(3))
Legere v PHSA and others, 2013 BCSC 306
Lewis v. British Columbia (Public Safety and Solicitor General), 2013 BCSC 1980
Goddard v. Dixon, 2012 BCSC 161
Lorenz v. BC Human Rights Tribunal et al, (23 February 2011), Vancouver S108205 (S.C.)
HMTQ v. McGrath, 2009 BCSC 180
Cowie v. Grand Forks District Savings Credit Union, 2006 BCSC 2008
Callaghan v. University of Victoria et al, 2006 BCSC 1503
Overwaitea Food Group LP v. Bates, 2006 BCSC 1201
Goddard v. Dixon, 2012 BCSC 161 at paras. 65-83
Engler v. BC Human Rights Tribunal (11 March 2010), Vancouver Reg. S094582 (S.C.)
BC Court of Appeal
Francescutti v. Vancouver (City), 2017 BCCA 242
Edgewater Casino v. Chubb-Kennedy, 2015 BCCA 9
Yaremy v. British Columbia (Human Rights Tribunal), 2015 BCCA 228
Routkovskaia v. British Columbia (Human Rights Tribunal), 2012 BCCA 141
Workers’ Compensation Appeal Tribunal v. Hill, 2011 BCCA 49
Gichuru v. British Columbia (Workers’ Compensation Appeal Tribunal), 2010 BCCA 191, leave to appeal denied, [2010] SCCA No. 217
Berezoutskaia v. British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal, 2006 BCCA 95, leave to appeal denied [2006] SCCA No. 171
BC Supreme Court
School H v. British Columbia (Human Rights Tribunal), 2016 BCSC 672
Bartuk v. Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, 2016 BCSC 74
Chiang v. British Columbia (Human Rights Tribunal), 2014 BCSC 1859
Singh v. Kane Shannon & Weiler Management Corp., 2014 BCSC 1043
Teck Coal Limited v. British Columbia (Human Rights Tribunal), 2014 BCSC 642
Novikova v. Thompson Rivers University, 2013 BCSC 2156
De Silva v. Fraser Health Authority, 2012 BCSC 1710
Salvo v. Shoppers Drug Mart Store #2222, 2012 BCSC 1789
University of British Columbia v. Chan, 2013 BCSC 942
Rush v. City of Richmond and another, 2012 BCSC 1661
Gardezi v. Bennett, 2012 BCSC 196
Goddard v. Dixon, 2012 BCSC 161
White v. Roxy Cabaret, 2011 BCSC 374
Pirsel v. Northern Health Authority, 2011 BCSC 1309
Insurance Corporation of British Columbia v. Rex Yuan and the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal (8 July 2008), Victoria 07-0273 (S.C.), aff’d 2009 BCCA 279
Gray v. UBC Students’ Union, 2008 BCSC 1530
Yang v. British Columbia (Human Rights Tribunal), 2008 BCSC 1456
Evans v. University of British Columbia, 2008 BCSC 1026
Rojas v. EaglePicher Energy Products Corp. et al., 2006 BCSC 1101
Cariboo Chevrolet Pontiac Buick GMC Ltd. v. Becker, 2006 BCSC 43
Carson v. Knucwentwecw Society, 2006 BCSC 1779
Chaloob v. Vancouver Police Department and British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal, 2005 BCSC 1836
De Silva v. Fraser Health Authority, 2012 BCSC 1710
Goddard v. Dixon, 2012 BCSC 161
Karbalaeiali v. British Columbia ( Human Rights Tribunal), 2010 BCSC 1130
Carter v. Travelex Canada Limited, 2009 BCCA 180
Cariboo Chevrolet Pontiac Buick GMC Ltd. v. Becker, 2006 BCSC 43
Lungu v. British Columbia (Ministry of Children and Family Development) (20 February 2014), unreported decision Vancouver Reg. No. S120705 (B.C.S.C.)
Supreme Court of Canada
British Columbia (Workers Compensation Board) v. Figliola, 2011 SCC 52
BC Court of Appeal
Baharloo v. University of British Columbia, 2016 BCCA 277
BC Supreme Court
University of British Columbia v Chan, 2013 BCSC 942
HMTQ v. Matuszewski, 2008 BCSC 915
Hines v. Canpar Industries Ltd., 2006 BCSC 800
BC Court of Appeal
University of British Columbia v. Kelly, 2016 BCCA 271 (wage loss and injury to dignity)
Gichuru v. The Law Society of British Columbia, 2014 BCCA 396 (wage loss and injury to dignity)
J.J. v. School District No. 43 (Coquitlam), 2013 BCCA 67 (wage loss)
Silver Campsites Ltd. v. James, 2013 BCCA 292 (injury to dignity)
Morgan-Hung v. British Columbia (Human Rights Tribunal), 2011 BCCA 122 (wage loss)
BC Supreme Court
Ismail v British Columbia (Human Rights Tribunal), 2013 BCSC 1079
Victoria Gardens Housing Cooperative v Nicolosi, 2013 BCSC 1989
McIntosh v. Metro Aluminum Products, 2012 BCSC 345 (wage loss)
Kinexus Bioinformatics Corporation v. Asad, 2010 BCSC 33 at paras. 33-39 and 180-184
Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd./Ltee. v. Kerr, 2010 BCSC 427 at para. 94, aff’d 2011 BCCA 266
Forsyth v. Coast Mountain Bus Company, 2013 BCCA 257, leave to appeal denied [2013] SCCA No. 338
Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association v. Pivot Legal Society, 2010 BCSC 807
Kinexus Bioinformatics Corporation v. Asad, 2010 BCSC 33 at paras. 34, 168 – 171
C.S. v. British Columbia (Human Rights Tribunal), 2017 BCSC 1268, paras. 228, 233
Karbalaeiali v. British Columbia ( Human Rights Tribunal), 2010 BCSC 1130 at paras 38, 64-65
Solowan v. British Columbia (Attorney General), 2007 BCSC 752 at paras. 33-34
Admission and weight of expert evidence
Providence Health Care v. Dunkley, 2016 BCSC 1383
Time limit for making dismissal application
Vancouver (City) v. Grant, 2006 BCSC 1855
Refusal to issue a summons
Qin v. British Columbia (Human Rights Tribunal) et al, 2005 BCSC 1662 at paras. 32-33
Ruling that interpreter would be used
Qin v. British Columbia (Human Rights Tribunal) et al, 2005 BCSC 1662 at para. 40
Deferral of jurisdictional question to hearing
Ismail v British Columbia (Human Rights Tribunal), 2013 BCSC 1079
HMTQ v. Swetlishoff, 2010 BCSC 1252 at paras 37-41
Determination of “arguable relevance” in a disclosure application
C.S. v. British Columbia (Human Rights Tribunal), 2017 BCSC 1268, paras. 174-175
Admission of evidence
C.S. v. British Columbia (Human Rights Tribunal), 2017 BCSC 1268, para. 181
Section 59(4) defines a patently unreasonable decision.
The courts have said that:
- the statutory definition applies
- it means that the court must give significant deference (respect) to the Tribunal’s decisionย
The test in section 59(4) is:
A discretionary decision is patently unreasonable if the discretion
(a) is exercised arbitrarily or in bad faith,
(b) is exercised for an improper purpose,
(c) is based entirely or predominantly on irrelevant factors , or
(d) fails to take statutory requirements into account.
Evans v. University of British Columbia, 2008 BCSC 1026
Berezoutskaia v. British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal, 2006 BCCA 95, leave to appeal denied, [2006] SCCA No. 171 (QL)
The court must show deference (respect)
British Columbia (Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General) v. Mzite, 2014 BCCA 220 at paras. 49-50
Adolphs v. Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine, 2014 BCSC 298 at paras. 19-20
Routskovia v. British Columbia (Human Rights Tribunal), 2012 BCCA 141 at paras. 27-28
C.S. v. British Columbia (Human Rights Tribunal), 2017 BCSC 1268, paras. 194-198
Discretion exercised arbitrarily or in bad faith (s. 59(4)(a))
British Columbia (Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General) v. Mzite, 2014 BCCA 220
University of British Columbia v. Chan, 2013 BCSC 942
Salvo v. Shoppers Drug Mart Store #2222, 2012 BCSC 1789
Goddard v. Dixon, 2012 BCSC 161
Silver Campsites Ltd. v. James, 2013 BCCA 292
Workers’ Compensation Appeal Tribunal v. Hill, 2011 BCCA 49
Berezoutskaia v. British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal, 2006 BCCA 95, leave to appeal denied, [2006] SCCA No. 171 (QL)
Discretion exercised for an improper purpose (s. 59(4)(b))
British Columbia (Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General) v. Mzite, 2014 BCCA 220
Silver Campsites Ltd. v. James, 2013 BCCA 292
Discretion based entirely or predominantly on irrelevant factors (s. 59(4)(c))
Adolphs v. Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine, 2014 BCSC 298 at paras. 31-35
University of British Columbia v. Chan, 2013 BCSC 942
Goddard v. Dixon, 2012 BCSC 161
British Columbia (Workers Compensation Board) v. Figliola, 2011 SCC 52
HMTQ v. Matuszewski, 2008 BCSC 915
Discretion fails to take statutory requirements into account (s. 59(4)(d))
University of British Columbia v. Chan, 2013 BCSC 942
Victoria Gardens Housing Cooperative v. Nicolosi, 2013 BCSC 1989
Goddard v. Dixon, 2012 BCSC 161
ICBC v. Yuan, 2009 BCCA 279