Complaint Management Process
IMPORTANT PROGRAM UPDATE:
Complaints/reports submitted after January 31, 2025, will not be administered or investigated through the Abuse-Free Sport Program. Cases received after that date will be, however, assessed to evaluate whether provisional measures are required in the interim period. Complaints/reports received on or after February 1, 2025, will be shared with the CCES when the new Canadian Safe Sport Program launches on April 1, 2025. Click here for more information.
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);
- The Director of Sanctions and Outcomes (DSO); and
- The Safeguarding Tribunal.
Complaints that are admissible to the program are submitted to the OSIC, which is responsible for complaint intake and for commissioning independent investigations. In addition, the OSIC makes support services available to individuals who are navigating the complaint management process.
An investigation report will be generated and transferred to the DSO, who will 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.
CLICK HERE TO CONSULT AN INTERACTIVE FLOWCHART OF THE COMPLAINT MANAGEMENT PROCESS