French language services

Overview

Tribunals Ontario is committed to ensuring that French language services (FLS) are clearly visible, easily accessible, publicized and of equivalent quality to services offered in English. It’s your right under the French Language Services Act.

Tribunals Ontario continues to focus on improving our FLS and optimizing the recruitment and onboarding of bilingual adjudicators. All Tribunals Ontario Order-in-Council postings are advertised in French on the Ministry of the Attorney General billboards and with the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario’s legal community communications.

All Tribunals Ontario adjudicators, management and designated bilingual staff are provided mandatory training about FLS obligations. This training is in addition to the mandatory training provided to all appointees on Tribunals Ontario’s FLS Policy.

In 2023-2024, Tribunals Ontario reviewed all the forms and procedures across our tribunals to ensure they meet active offer requirements pursuant to O. Reg 544/22 regarding the Active Offer of Services in French – Prescribed Measures.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and service standard data are vital operational tools for ensuring we are meeting the standard of providing equal quality service in French as in English. We are actively working to implement KPIs related to FLS to strengthen the evaluation and accountability of FLS delivery at Tribunals Ontario.

Tribunals Ontario offers a common Request for French Language Services Form at all our tribunals. This form is also available on each of the 13 tribunal webpages, to ensure that the process of requesting FLS is clear and accessible. See “How to Request French Language Services” for further information.

All forms and documents, correspondence, publications, and phone services at Tribunals Ontario are available in French and English. A French-speaking or bilingual staff member, adjudicator or Tribunals Ontario third-party service provider will be assigned to proceedings whenever:

• an application or appeal is submitted in French;
• a client requests that the proceeding be conducted wholly or partly in French; or
• a client requests to communicate in French at any time in the process.

Clients requesting French services will have equal access to all types of proceedings available before Tribunals Ontario and the quality and timing of French language services will be of equivalent quality and timing to the same service provided in English.

Tribunals Ontario actively monitors all complaints regarding French Language Services and prioritizes resolving complaints in a timely manner.

Read the full Tribunals Ontario French Language Services Policy .

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How to Request French Language Services

Complete the Request for French Language Services Form and submit it to the tribunal as soon as possible so they can fulfill your request without delay.

The form has the email contact information for each tribunal.

Please note that if you have submitted an application/appeal or response in French, there’s no need to submit this request form.

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Tribunal contact information

Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB)

If you use the Tribunals Ontario Portal (TOP) to manage your LTB file, upload your completed request directly in your file by choosing “Request for French Language Services” under the list of documents. Otherwise, you can send your completed by email to LTB@ontario.ca.

Animal Care Review Board (ACRB)

Submit your completed form by email to ACRB.registrar@ontario.ca.

Assessment Review Board (ARB)

Submit your completed form by email to ARB.registrar@ontario.ca.

Child and Family Services Review Board (CFSRB)

Submit your completed form by email to CFSRB@ontario.ca.

Custody Review Board (CRB)

Submit your completed form by email to CFSRB@ontario.ca.

Fire Safety Commission (FSC)

Submit your completed form by email to FSCregistrar@ontario.ca.

Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO)

Submit your completed form by email to HRTO.registrar@ontario.ca.

Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT)

Submit your completed form by email to LATregistrar@ontario.ca.

Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC)

Submit your completed form by email to OCPCregistrar@ontario.ca.

Ontario Parole Board (OPB)

Submit your completed form by email to OPBregistrar@ontario.ca.

Ontario Special Education Tribunals (OSETs)

Submit your completed form by email to OSET@ontario.ca.

Social Benefits Tribunal (SBT)

Submit your completed form by email to SBT.registrar@ontario.ca.