Sean Weir, Executive Chair of Tribunals Ontario, and Harry Gousopoulos, Executive Director of Tribunals Ontario, issued the following statement in response to the Ombudsman’s Office Investigative Report into delays and case backlogs at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) released on May 4, 2023:
“Today, the Ombudsman’s Office released its investigative report about service delays and challenges at the LTB.
We appreciate the work of the Ombudsman’s Office in conducting a comprehensive review of the LTB and recommending areas for improvement. We are currently reviewing the recommendations carefully as they can help inform our ongoing efforts to improve service standards at the LTB.
The pandemic created an urgent need for the LTB to modernize and transform how we deliver services to our users. Over the past three years, we have taken action and implemented a number of strategies to address delays and provide better and more timely service. These strategies include:
- Working with the Government of Ontario to increase staff and adjudicator resources
- Implementing Tribunals Ontario Portal, an online system to allow parties to submit applications online and using Zoom to participate in their hearings from the comfort of their home or office
- Establishing access to justice initiatives such as public and mobile terminals and Navigate Tribunals Ontario to support users with their dispute
- Streamlining LTB processes and ensuring adjudicators have the necessary support for efficient file and hearing management
There remains more work to do. With the new resources we’ve been allocated by the Government of Ontario and plans we have underway, many of the report’s recommendations are being addressed. We are confident that significant inroads into the backlog will be made this fiscal year.
We will continue to work with the Ombudsman’s Office and the Ministry of the Attorney General to address the report’s recommendations. We are committed to delivering a strong, timely, accessible, and modern administrative justice system.”
MEDIA CONTACT
Janet Deline
Tribunals Ontario Communications
Media.TO-TDO@ontario.ca
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