Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario FAQ:
Updates to Rescheduling and Adjournment Requests

(Disponible en français)

1. How can I request a rescheduling of my event?

Rescheduling only applies within 14 days of receiving the notice of the event. If your request comes after 14 days of receiving the notice of the event, it is considered an adjournment. See the NEW Practice Direction on Rescheduling and Adjournment Requests for more information.

• You must attempt to contact the other parties to obtain five mutually available dates within six weeks of the originally scheduled date(s).
  • If the parties agree on alternative dates, you must advise the HRTO Registrar in writing by filing a Request for an Order During Proceedings (Form 10), copied to the other parties.
  • If the parties do not agree on alternative dates, you must contact the HRTO Registrar in writing by filing a Request for an Order During Proceedings (Form 10), copied to the other parties, and provide five alternative dates that are within six weeks of the originally scheduled date(s).

2. How do I respond to a request for an event to be rescheduled?

If you wish to respond to a request for an event to be rescheduled, you may respond using the Form 11 (Response to a Request for an Order).

3. How do I know if my event has been rescheduled?

If the parties have provided agreed upon dates, the HRTO will make every effort to reschedule the event for dates provided by the parties.

If the parties were unable to provide agreed upon dates, and if the request is granted and, after reasonable efforts, the HRTO is not able to find dates agreeable to all the parties, the HRTO will set the dates for the event without the agreement of the parties.

If the HRTO denies or does not respond to a party's rescheduling request, all parties are expected to attend the day(s) of the event. The event will proceed as scheduled unless the HRTO notifies the parties that a request has been granted.

4. How can I request an adjournment of my event?

Any request made more than 14 days after the notice of the event was issued is considered an adjournment request. See the NEW Practice Direction on Rescheduling and Adjournment Requests for more information.

The HRTO will not grant adjournment requests received less than seven days before the start of the scheduled event unless there are exceptional circumstances.

You may request an adjournment by filing a Request for an Order During Proceedings (Form 10), copied to the other parties. Ensure all relevant information to your request is included in the Form 10.

5. How do I respond to a party's request for an event to be adjourned?

A party may respond to an adjournment request by filing a Response to a Request for an Order (Form 11), copied to the other parties.

6. How long will I have to respond to a request to adjourn an event?

You must respond within seven days of receiving the adjournment request.

7. What happens if a request is made less than seven days before the start of the scheduled event?

The HRTO may:

• Dismiss the request.
• Set an expedited schedule for responding to the request.
• Consider the request at the start of the scheduled event.