The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission uses a staged dispute-resolution process. A person begins with an Inquiry Form; an official complaint exists only after the Commission's intake criteria are met and a prescribed Complaint Form is signed.
Sources checked September 29, 2026.
Start with an inquiry
The Inquiry Form asks what happened, when it happened, the prohibited area, protected characteristic, connection and respondent. Commission staff assess whether the matter may fall under the Act.
From inquiry to signed complaint
If intake criteria are met, the information can be used to prepare a prescribed Complaint Form for review and signature. Completing or sending the Inquiry Form is not itself the formal complaint.
After a complaint is signed
The respondent receives the complaint and may provide a written response; the complainant can provide a rebuttal. The file then proceeds through the Commission's procedural assessment.
Possible outcomes
A complaint can move through early resolution, investigation, settlement, dismissal or referral for a Board of Inquiry. Not every complaint goes through every stage, and procedural acceptance is not a finding of discrimination.
Official sources
- Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission — making an inquiry
- Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission — complaint process
- Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission — Inquiry Form and intake criteria
- Nova Scotia Legislature — Human Rights Act