For people who have lived, are currently living or at risk of living homelessness and who have experienced police abuse or authority abuse of any form, our community workers offers information and accompaniment in various recourses offered to fill out a complaint, free of charge.

 

Police Ethic Complaint

Our community workers offers information on the police ethics system and on the evolution of a complaint, assists people in formulating their complaints and offers support and accompaniment throughout the process.

The following situations could give rise to a police ethics complaint:

– A police officer used obscene, blasphemous or abusive language (Code of ethics of Québec police officers, art. 5(1))
– A police officer committed acts or used injurious language based on race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, religion, political convictions, language, age, social condition, civil status, pregnancy, ethnic or national origin, a handicap or a means to compensate for a handicap (art. 5(4))
– A police officer failed or refused to produce official identification when a person asked him/her to do so (art. 5(2))
– A police officer used greater force than was necessary to accomplish what was required or permitted (art. 6(1))
– A police officer threatened, intimidated or harassed a person (art. 6(2))
– A police officer maliciously damaged or destroyed property belonging to a person (art. 8(1))
– A police officer showed, handled or pointed a weapon without justification (art. 11(1))

 

Commission des droits de la personne (Human rights Commission)

Our community workers offer information on the process of a complaint at the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (CDPDJQ). They can assist in the writing of the complaint, offer accompaniment and support throughout the process.  At the Commission, the nature of the complaint must be based on a ground of discrimination, as social condition or ethnicity.

 

Other possible solutions:

The Clinique Droits Devant can inform, offer social accompaniment to people who have lived, are currently living or at risk of living homelessness with other judicial instances such as:

  • – Filing a criminal complaint against police officers.
  • – Pursue a civil recourse at the small claims Court.

 

Warning! The Clinique’s community workers are not lawyers and thus cannot give legal advice nor represent people in court.