Declaration of Services to the Public

The Commission draws on its independence and expertise to promote and uphold the principles of the Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. It also ensures that the interests of children are protected and that their rights under the Youth Protection Act are promoted and upheld. The Commission is also responsible for administration of the Act respecting equal access to employment in public bodies. 

In carrying out its mission, the Commission provides free services to all people in Québec. 

• Respect: In all our interactions, we are committed to identifying ourselves, responding to you with respect and courtesy, and listening to you attentively.
• Reliability: We are committed to providing you with reliable information based on our publications, educational tools, and positions.
• Diligence: We are committed to responding promptly to your requests and making sure that the information we provide meets your needs.
• Confidentiality of personal information: We attach the utmost importance to protecting the confidentiality of all information you give us.
• Simplicity: We are committed to providing easy-to-access services, giving you the support you require, and directing you to the most relevant and appropriate services for your needs.
• Fairness: We are committed to handling your request with the utmost concern for equality and impartiality.
• Accessibility: We are committed to taking all necessary measures to ensure that our offices and publications are accessible to people with a disability and that our website is in line with the Government of Québec’s web accessibility standards.
• Clarity: We are committed to providing the public with complete and straightforward information in language that is easy to understand.

Here are the timeframes you can expect when you use our services. If exceptional circumstances or more complex cases cause extra delays, we will contact you to let you know.

These timeframes are based on calendar days and include weekends and holidays.

Information, public awareness, education

Part of the Commission’s role is to inform the public of their rights, including through our website and social media platforms. We also provide tools and training on human rights and freedoms and on the rights of the child.

Processing complaints of discrimination or harassment

Processing complaints under the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms involves several steps.

• Receipt and assessment of admissibility are the starting point of the Commission’s process for handling complaints. During this stage, we answer your questions, help you understand our areas of jurisdiction, and open a file if the conditions of admissibility are fulfilled. If a complaint is deemed admissible, we initiate an investigation. In that case, the complaint is assessed further, the respondent is informed of it, and dialogue is facilitated between the parties. At the end of the assessment period, we make recommendations as to the direction the file should take.
• Mediation aims to help the parties come to a mutually-satisfactory agreement that is in line with the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and with public interest. The Commission’s mandate is to conduct mediation as a voluntary dispute-resolution process to develop a fair and lasting agreement that works for all parties. Mediation can only take place at the beginning of the complaint process, once the complaint has been deemed admissible and if both parties agree.
• If the parties cannot reach an agreement and the Commission considers it appropriate to gather evidence, the investigation continues. After the investigation, the investigator sends a summary of findings to the parties, who have at least ten business days to comment on them if they wish. Then, the investigator submits a report and recommendations to the Complaints Committee for a decision.

The Commission aims to process complaints within an average of 15 months. We will update you as your file moves through this process.

Processing complaints and reports of exploitation

Processing files of exploitation of elderly people and people with a disability under the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms requires a different approach. In some cases, the Commission must decide to investigate on its own initiative. This is to protect vulnerable people who may be experiencing exploitation and to act in the public interest.

If you report exploitation on behalf of someone else, you will not receive a copy of the summary or the decision. Only the parties (the victim and the respondent) will receive this information. This is because people who report exploitation are not considered parties.

Processing requests for intervention in youth protection matters

The Commission is responsible for ensuring that the interests of children are protected and that their rights under the Youth Protection Act and the Youth Criminal Justice Act are respected and upheld. We may investigate, upon request or on our own initiative, any situation where we have reason to believe that the rights of a child are being violated.

The Commission aims to process requests for intervention in youth protection matters within an average of 6 months. We will update you as your file moves through this process.

Assistance for administrators

The Commission provides employers and service providers in the public, private, and community sectors with advisory services to help them process requests for reasonable accommodation and implement equal access employment programs.

Your collaboration is essential for us to fulfill these commitments. When you make a request to the Commission, we count on you to: 

• be courteous, collaborative, and respectful 
• provide us with complete and accurate information 
• promptly provide us with all necessary information and documents
• notify us of any changes to your situation 
• let us know if you need any assistance or accommodation 

The Commission is committed to providing you with quality services. We are committed to working efficiently to review and process all requests and files that we receive, and to honouring the timeframes we have established. If you are nonetheless dissatisfied with the services you received from the Commission, please contact our service quality representative. All feedback is examined rigorously and impartially in accordance with our Declaration of Services to the Public and our Dissatisfaction Policy (French only).

You can share your comments, suggestions, and dissatisfaction with us by filling out our online Feedback Form or by contacting our service quality representative.

President’s Office

Service Quality Representative
Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse
360 Saint-Jacques St, 2nd floor
Montréal, Québec H2Y 1P5
Phone: (514) 873-5146 or toll-free at 1 800 361-6477
Email: qualitedesservices@cdpdj.qc.ca
Fax: 514 873-6032

We are available to respond to requests for information during our opening hours:
Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to noon and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Outside of these hours, you can send us your requests by voicemail, fax, or email.

Montréal (head office)

Telephone: 514 873-5146
Toll-free telephone: 1 800 361 6477
Fax: 514 873-6032
Toll-free fax: 1 888 999-8201
Email: information@cdpdj.qc.ca
Website: cdpdj.qc.ca/en

360 Saint-Jacques Street, 2nd Floor
Montréal, Québec H2Y 1P5
Access for people with limited mobility:
361 Notre-Dame Street West

Many of our services are also available in other parts of Québec. For more information, call us toll-free at 1 800 361-6477 or email us at information@cdpdj.qc.ca.

This Statement of Services to the Public was last updated on March 18, 2022.