Complaint Management Process
IMPORTANT PROGRAM UPDATE:
The Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) was responsible to administer the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) from June 20, 2022 to July 31, 2025.
By order of the Minister responsible for sport in December 2023, the OSIC is no longer operating. The information available on this page therefore only applies to complaints/reports that were previously investigated under the authority of the OSIC.
For all other matters at the national level, please consult this link to access the new Canadian Safe Sport Program.
Complaint Management Process
The Abuse-Free Sport complaint management process provides an independent mechanism to address allegations of maltreatment and discrimination in sport. It covers matters that are related to the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS), involving individual participants of organizations that have signed onto the program.
The process comprises three core components:
- The Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) (closed since July 31, 2025);
- The Director of Sanctions and Outcomes (DSO); and
- The Safeguarding Tribunal.
Complaints that were admissible to the program were submitted to the OSIC, which was responsible for complaint intake and for commissioning independent investigations. In addition, the OSIC made support services available to individuals who were navigating the complaint management process.
An investigation report was generated and transferred to the DSO. The DSO is then responsible to make a decision, which could include imposing a sanction.
If a party is unsatisfied with a decision of the DSO, they may have the right to challenge it before the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada's Safeguarding Tribunal, in accordance with Article 8 of the Canadian Sport Dispute Resolution Code.
For more information about the Abuse-Free Sport Complaint Management process, click HERE.