Background:

• The Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (Alliance) appealed a Federal Court decision dismissing their judicial review application.
• The application sought to overturn a Canadian Human Rights Commission (Commission) decision not to address a complaint against Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) regarding an inaccessible grant process and website.

Legal Points:

• Canadian Human Rights Act: Section 41 mandates the Commission to address complaints unless they fall under specific exclusions.
• The Commission dismissed the complaint, stating it was filed by an organization, not an individual, thus outside its jurisdiction.

Federal Court’s Decision:

• The decision was deemed reasonable, following principles from Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) v. Vavilov, 2019 SCC 65.

Court of Appeal’s Findings:

• The Court reviewed the standard of review applied by the Federal Court.
• It agreed that the Commission’s characterization of the complaint as organizational, not individual, was reasonable and deserved deference.

Intervener’s Argument:

• The First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada argued the Commission had considered organizational complaints before.
• The Court found no conflict, noting the Commission can accept complaints from organizations on behalf of individuals, which was not applicable here.

Conclusion:

• The appeal was dismissed with no costs awarded.