November 14th, 2024
November 14th, 2024
Toronto — MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam (Toronto Centre) will introduce a new bill that would tackle the critical backlog in Ontario’s court system.
“The crisis in Ontario Tribunals can be fixed and I’ve laid out the solution in my new Private member’s Bill, Fixing the Tribunals Ontario Backlogs Act, 2024” says MPP Wong-Tam. “When the bill is passed, the Ontario government will create backlog reduction panels, take political interference out of Tribunal appointments, and invest in expanded legal aid, in-person hearings, and duty counsel to deliver accelerated access to justice. This bill gives the government a focused, non-partisan roadmap to clear the tribunals' backlog and improve the justice system — and if Doug Ford is serious about fixing Ontario Tribunals, he’ll listen.”
Wong-Tam was joined by MPP Bhutila Karpoche (Parkdale – High Park), Tribunal Watch Ontario representatives and tenants who have waited almost two years for their Landlord Tenant Board hearing to even be heard.
“When it comes to something that impacts people’s lives as much as an eviction hearing, everyone should have the option to go for an in-person hearing and not to be disadvantaged by lack of access to technology. It’s also crucial that we fund duty counsel so that every tenant can access a fair hearing,” says MPP Karpoche.
According to data from Tribunal Watch this February, the Landlord Tenant Board has over 53,000 cases outstanding, and the Human Rights Tribunal has over 9527 cases outstanding.
"Under Doug Ford's watch, Ontarians have watched access to justice across Ontario Tribunals collapse,” said Wong-Tam. “Ontarians now wait years for justice at the Landlord Tenant Board (LTB) and the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO). Ontario's Ombudsman issued a scathing report into LTB delays last year — but Ford can’t seem to make common sense fixes like restoring access to in-person hearings. Ford's refusal to fix Ontario's Tribunals like the LTB raises questions about if he has manufactured this crisis to bring back Mike Harris-style default evictions after an early election."
Additional Quotes
Brian Cook, coordinator at Ontario Tribunal Watch
“Tribunal Watch Ontario endorses the Bill, which, if enacted, will enhance access to justice, address massive backlogs at two failing tribunals, and improve the process for appointing members of adjudicative tribunals. Tribunal Watch Ontario endorses the Private Members Bill because it substantially reforms short-term and long-term problems affecting tens of thousands of Ontarians yearly.”
Julian Munro, a tenant who has waited almost two years for a basic AGI hearing at the LTB:
“LTB delays mean that my neighbours and I are unable to plan our monthly finances with confidence. I am waiting to learn if I need to be for a 2.5% on top of a 2.5% increase or if I only owe my landlord just the guideline increase. I have a fixed income and Ford’s Tribunal delays are making it impossible for me to budget.”
Anthony Parente, tenant on ODSP
“Tenants like me across Ontario feel we are at the mercy of corporate landlords. I have brought my landlord to the LTB in the past at online hearings and believe me — mandatory online hearings are not real access to justice. People’s personal traumas are on public display during a zoom call that everyone is struggling to navigate. Mandatory online hearings waste everyone’s time and make wait times longer. I support giving tenants the choice to be heard in person without worrying whether they are muted or if their internet could cut out.”
Background
MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam’s Bill, the Fixing the Tribunals Ontario Backlogs Act, 2024, would: