2. Deal with preliminary issues
Question & Answer
What happens at an HRTO hearing?Before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) hearing begins, the Tribunal member usually asks if there are any “preliminary issues”. These are things that you or the Respondent need to deal with before you make your opening statements.
Some examples of common preliminary issues include:
- A witness has not arrived yet. You can ask the member for extra time to call the witness to see where they are.
- You haven’t received copies of all of the Respondent’s evidence. You can ask the member for time to review the evidence, or to not allow the Respondent to use the evidence.
- You need an interpreter or other . The member can help to arrange for an interpreter.
If there’s something you do not understand about the hearing process or something you need help with, this is when you can ask questions. Make sure you talk to the member about your concerns.
Not every case will have preliminary issues.