One of the more challenging issues that professional regulators can face in protecting the public from unauthorized practitioners is ambiguity as to whether an activity constitutes a restricted activity or practice. Some activities are obvious, like heart surgery, but other…
In June, Lisa C. Fong and Angie Westmacott, Q.C., co-chaired a CLE session on self-regulating professions, where they, as well as Rebecca Durcan and Katrina Haymond, identified a number of ongoing, general trends in professional regulation: public skepticism about self-regulation;…
Under B.C.’s Health Professions Act, some inquiry committees will issue letters of criticism to resolve complaints (under HPA s. 33(6)(b)) — letters that do not constitute formal disciplinary measures, like reprimands, but nonetheless warn registrants that their conduct is substandard, based…
People who are no longer entitled to carry on professional practice – whether due to a suspension, or to a loss of registration – may attempt to continue practice by bringing themselves within exemptions to practice restrictions. A court may,…
Some self-regulating professions may prevent their registrants from using the title “Doctor” in a professional capacity, despite a doctorate degree in another field, on the basis that the public may be misled about the extent of their professional training. In…