The British Columbia Human Rights Code | The Brian Mulroney Institute of Government

The province of British Columbia formally introduced its first Human Rights Act in 1969.
The Act was amended several times and ultimately became the B.C. Human Rights Code a few years later.
The Code ensures all individuals are: free to participate in society; afforded equal dignity and respect; protected from discrimination (as outlined in the Code); given redress when rights have been violated by the Code, and more.
B.C.'s 1974 amendment passed one of the most progressive human rights laws in the world.
This amendment included all the strengths of the Ontario model and a "reasonable cause" section, which broadened the scope of anti-discrimination legislation to any form of discrimination unless the respondent could demonstrate reasonable cause.
This legislation was transformative in Canadian history when the government began embracing human rights at home and abroad.
For example, women used the reasonable cause section set out on the B.C. Human Rights Code to set precedents in areas like pregnancy and sexual harassment (among others).
The Code prohibits discrimination in several areas on numerous grounds and it works alongside the Tribunal to facilitate a process for addressing and resolving rights violations.