FAQs: The complaint process

  1. What is the complaint process?

    Depending on the individual complaint, it will go through a number of steps:
    1. Making the complaint.
    2. Serving a complaint on respondent(s)
    3. Sharing the respondent's response with the complainant
    4. Conciliation
    5. Investigation
    6. Dismissal or discontinuance
    7. Appeals to the Chief of the Commission and Tribunals
    8. Report to the Chief of Commission and Tribunals and referral to human rights tribunal
    9. Human rights tribunal

    For details of the complaint process, see Making and resolving human rights complaints.

  2. How long does the complaint process take?

    The average time frame for completing the complaint resolution services provided by the regional offices and the director's office was 404 days in 2008-09. The Alberta Human Rights Commission's performance target is to complete the complaint resolution process within 435 days from the date a complaint is accepted. Many complaints take significantly less time, while some very complicated cases take more time.

  3. When does a complaint become public?

    A complaint only becomes public if and when it reaches the tribunal hearing stage. Documents filed with the tribunal are public once the tribunal hearing begins. Human rights tribunal decisions are published in the Decisions section of the Commission's website.

    Revised: February 22, 2010

 

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