Jennifer Scott

The Children's Aid Society apprehended the respondent mother's children and placed them in foster care.

While a child protection application was pending before the court, the mother filed a service-related complaint with the Child and Family Services Review Board regarding the Society's failure to place the children with willing family members and its refusal to provide reasons.

The Society challenged the Board's jurisdiction, arguing all matters should be heard by the court.

The Court of Appeal held that the Board correctly assumed jurisdiction, as the specific service-related complaints had not been decided by and were not before the court, interpreting section 68.1(8) of the Child and Family Services Act.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission appealed a Divisional Court decision upholding a board of inquiry's pre-hearing disclosure order.

The board had ordered the complainant, who alleged discrimination based on a physical handicap, to produce various medical, workers' compensation, and pension files, as well as a list of all other treating medical practitioners.

The Court of Appeal held that the board had the authority to order the complainant to provide an affidavit of documents for the specified files, allowing for claims of privilege and irrelevance to be adjudicated.

However, the Court found that the board exceeded its jurisdiction by ordering the complainant to provide a list of all other treating doctors and their treatments without any relevance screening, as this unjustifiably infringed her privacy rights.

The appeal was allowed in part to set aside that specific paragraph of the board's order.