A Collective Impact: the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s interim report on its inquiry into racial profiling and racial discrimination of Black persons by the Toronto Police Service
On December 10, 2018, Human Rights Day, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) released A Collective Impact, the OHRC’s interim report on its inquiry into racial profiling and racial discrimination of Black persons by the Toronto Police Service (TPS). A Collective Impact provides findings relating to Special Investigations Unit (SIU) investigations of TPS use of force resulting in serious injury or death, describes the lived experiences Black communities have shared during the OHRC’s community engagement, and offers a review of legal decisions.
The OHRC has serious concerns about racial profiling and racial discrimination of Black people by the TPS in use of force; stops, questioning and searches; and charges. For example, between 2013 and 2017, according to data obtained from the SIU, a Black person was nearly 20 times more likely than a White person to be involved in a fatal shooting by the TPS.
Thank you to everyone who attended our webinar on March 28th, 2019. The webinar recording can be accessed via the link below:
Webinar Playback
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Sunil Gurmukh
Sunil Gurmukh is a lawyer at the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC). Prior to joining the OHRC in 2011, he worked at the African Canadian Legal Clinic as a Staff Lawyer and articled at Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP. He has worked on significant human rights cases at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario and all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada. He has a B.Comm. from Queen's University (2005) and an LL.B. from Western University (2008). He has been recognized for his work on racial profiling as a winner of the 2016 Precedent Setter Award and Hennessy V.S.O.P. Privilège Award and member of Bay Street Bull’s 2017 Power 50 Guide. Last year, he was nominated as one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in the Young Influencer category in Canadian Lawyer Magazine.
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Len Rudner (moderator)
Len Rudner is Principal at Len Rudner & Associates, a consultancy focusing on community advocacy, diversity & inclusion and human rights. He is the former Director of Community Relations and Outreach for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA).
Prior to working with CIJA Len was employed in successive roles with Canadian Jewish Congress, acting as Ontario Regional Director, National Director of Community Relations and Ontario Director of Community Relations. He has represented the position of the Jewish community on a variety of issues including antisemitism, discrimination in the workplace, reasonable accommodation and Holocaust denial. He has represented CIJA and CJC at international conferences focusing on Holocaust education, antisemitism, hate speech and freedom of speech.