In Zaidi v. Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council, 2018 FCA 116, http://canlii.ca/t/hsjrq the applicant for registration by a regulated profession was unable to meet the language proficiency requirements. The applicant repeatedly failed the language proficiency test and challenged the requirement as discriminatory on the basis of his medical conditions. The Court dismissed the challenge primarily on the basis that it did not have jurisdiction to hear the appeal. However, it also said that the appeal had no merit because the applicant had not sought accommodation and thus had not been refused accommodation. Thus there is an onus on applicants to request accommodation before a complaint of discrimination on the basis of disability can be made out.
Balancing Public Protection and Fairness
Ontario’s highest court has discussed the mandate of regulators of professions in The Law Society of Upper Canada v Watson, 2026 ONCA 372. The Court