Additional hearings are scheduled after a local woman claimed the Northern Health Region (NHR) violated her human rights.
Linda Horrocks has filed a complaint with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission (MHRC) alleging employment discrimination by the NHR.
An initial round of hearings took place March 23 to 27 in Flin Flon. Final hearings have not been scheduled but are likely to take place in Winnipeg.
Patricia Knipe, communications director for the MHRC, could not provide details on the nature of the complaint.
She said that when human rights complaints surface, there is always an attempt to mediate a solution. If that’s not successful, a human rights officer investigates the complaint.
In this case, the officer concluded there was sufficient evidence to suggest that discrimination took place. The matter then went to hearings.
Knipe said it has not been established what the complainant is seeking in terms of damages. That argument is usually presented on the final day of hearings.
Human rights hearings are not criminal cases, Knipe said, but if the adjudicator determines that someone’s rights were violated, he or she can hand down a legally binding ruling.
Either side can appeal the adjudicator’s ruling. Appeals are heard by the court system, with a judge deciding whether to retry or dismiss the case.
