- The New Brunswick Human Rights Act, also referred to as the Human Rights Code, is a provincial law that prohibits discrimination and harassment on various grounds and on specific activities that falls under provincial jurisdiction.
- The Act came into effect on September 15, 1967, and it originally included legal protections against discrimination in the workplace, in accommodations, and in receiving services.
- The New Brunswick Human Rights Act, like all Canadian human rights legislations, was inspired by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was co-written by John Peters Humphrey who was from New Brunswick.
- The protected grounds under the initial Act was race, colour, creed, nationality, ancestry, and place of origin.
- Since the Act's inception, it has evolved immensely to involve broader discrimination protections.
- The current Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination and harassment in employment, housing, public services, publicity, and certain associations (greater detail can be found in the Act).
- The current Act protects discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, national origin, place of origin, ancestry, creed or religion, age, marital status, family status, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical/mental disability, social condition (income, education, occupation, etc), and political belief or activity.
New Brunswick. Human Rights Act, R.S.N.B. 2011, c. 171. https://laws.gnb.ca/en/ShowTdm/cs/2011-c.171//
For a detailed timeline and evolution of the New Brunswick Human Rights Act/Commission: https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=1y_tQMG813s0wauvjyI41PM7yjwlszATAO-VGEYKrxog&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&height=650
For more information on the Human Rights Act: https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/nbhrc/human-rights-act/act-explained.html#:~:text=The%20Human%20Rights%20Act%20of,activities%20that%20fall%20under%20provincial
& https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/nbhrc/human-rights-act/summary.html
For more information on the history of New Brunswick's Human Rights Associations: https://historyofrights.ca/encyclopaedia/social-movements/rights-associations-second-generation/new-brunswick/
For New Brunswick's Original Human Rights Act (1967): https://historyofrights.ca/wp-content/uploads/statutes/NB_HRA.pdf