Racial profiling
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In 2003, the Commission began receiving complaints about racial profiling. The Commission was among the first institutions in Québec to reflect upon and raise awareness about racial profiling as a form of discrimination. In 2005, the Commission adopted a definition of racial profiling, which has since been recognized by the courts and by the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM). Since its extensive consultation on racial profiling and racialized youth (in 2009) and its report containing more than 90 recommendations (in 2011), the Commission continues to work to ensure better social, political and legal recognition of racial profiling and its consequences. In particular, the Commission published in 2020 a review of the implementation of its 2011 recommendations.
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English language translations are provided when available.
2020 | La Commission remporte une importante victoire pour un citoyen issu de la communauté noire devant le Tribunal des droits de la personne (TDP)
Le TDP a conclu que ce citoyen a été victime de profilage racial et a condamné un policier et le Service de police de l’agglomération de Longueuil (SPAL) à lui payer des dommages moraux et punitifs totalisant 12 000 $. Il a aussi ordonné au SPAL de mettre en place une formation sur le profilage racial et de procéder à la collecte de données concernant l’appartenance raciale perçue ou présumée des personnes qui sont interpelées.
2020 | The Commission releases its report on the implementation of the recommendations from its 2011 Consultation Report on Racial Profiling
Elle constate que la majorité des recommandations qu’elle a émises en 2011 pour lutter contre le profilage racial et la discrimination systémique n’ont pas été mises en œuvre ou ne l’ont été qu’en partie. Elle appelle ainsi, de nouveau, le gouvernement à adopter une politique québécoise de lutte contre le racisme et la discrimination systémiques, qui comprenne notamment un plan d’action pour prévenir et enrayer le profilage racial.
- News release
- Summary
- Bilan (French only)
- Liste des recommandations (French only)
2020 | Following the horrific death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the Commission expressed its solidarity with Black communities in Québec and around the world, and reiterated that systemic racism, systemic discrimination and racial profiling are serious human rights violations that must not be tolerated.
- News release (French only)
2019 | The Commission issued recommendations to the City of Montréal as part of the Public Consultation on Systemic Racism and Discrimination. This included recommending that the City develop a policy to combat systemic racism and systemic discrimination, and that this policy take into account the specific realities of Aboriginal peoples, racialized people and immigrants.
- News release (French only)
- Brief (French only)
2019 | The Commission recommended that the City of Montréal immediately and definitively prohibit routine police checks, which disproportionately affect certain groups of people. We presented our recommendations at a public meeting of the Commission de la sécurité publique where we were invited to comment on an independent report on police stops that had been prepared for the Montréal police services (SPVM).
- News release (French only)
2018 | In response to the Montréal police service (SPVM) strategic plan on racial and social profiling, the Commission criticized the lack of published data on the presumed racial affiliation and social condition of the individuals involved in police interventions, data that would provide a more accurate picture of the phenomenon. The publication of such data was an important recommendation made by the Commission in 2011, and one which we have reiterated many times since.
- News release (French only)
2018 | The Commission won a case against the Montréal police service (SPVM) and two officers. The Human Rights Tribunal ordered the SPVM and the two officers to pay a man $12,000 in damages for racial profiling.
- News release (French only)
- Court ruling
2017 | During Montréal’s public consultation on racial and social profiling, the Commission criticized the City’s failure to take action on many of our earlier recommendations, and emphasized the great deal of work that is still required in this area.
- News release (French only)
- Brief (French only)
2013 | The Commission wins the first case at the Human Rights Tribunal involving a commercial establishment finding that four black complainants were victims of racial profiling in a bar near Montréal. In November 2014, the Québec Court of Appeal upheld the verdict of racial profiling but found that only the establishment – not its owner – must pay the punitive damages totalling $12 000 to the four men.
- News release (In french only)
- Court ruling of the Human Rights Tribunal (In french only)
- Court ruling of the Court of Appeal (In french only)
2012 | One year following the release of the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse’s report on racial profiling: few changes or tangible progess.
- Report (PDF, 766 Ko)
- News release
2011 | The Commission published a consultative report on profiling and its consequences, entitled "Racial profiling and systemic discrimination of racialized youth", which offered more than 90 recommendations for countering the racial profiling of young persons in the areas of law enforcement, education and the youth protection system.
- Report (PDF, 1.77 Mo)
News releases:
- The Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse issues a wake-up call
- The Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse undertakes to improve its work
- Public security and racial profiling - The Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse calls for a reform of police practices
- Ensuring educational success for racialized youth - The Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse urges changes in the education sector
- The Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse issues recommendations to address over-representation of racialized youth
2009 | The Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse launched its public consultation throughout Québec to find ways of countering racial profiling.
- News release (PDF, 18 Ko)
2005 | The Commission adopted a definition of racial profiling.
- Opinion (PDF, 146 Ko)
Did you know ?
In 2020-2021, 86 racial profiling investigation files were opened at the Commission.
The number of files opened for racial profiling has increased by 87% since 2018-2019.
To learn more...
See our information pages on the grounds of discrimination: