Grey Areas

Last month, a United Kingdom agency released a major report entitled “Rethinking Regulation”. The Professional Standards Authority (PSA) oversees statutory bodies that regulate health and social care professionals in the UK. The PSA developed the widely respected concept of “right touch regulation” in 2010. The report should be mandatory reading for regulators of all professions everywhere.

The effect of Uber on the regulation of the taxi industry is a lesson to all regulators. If a regulator does not remain sensitive to emerging trends, it can become irrelevant in a shockingly short period.

When CityNews reporter Shauna Hunt confronted fans shouting degrading comments during a live interview at a soccer match, the video of her doing that went viral. One of the men trying to justify his actions was employed by a government agency. He was fired almost immediately after the video became public. Earlier this month, Lori Widmer wrote an article for a

One of the most difficult tasks for members of discipline hearing panels is to make credibility findings. Such findings are particularly challenging in sexual abuse matters. So it is helpful when a court provides specific guidance on how hearing panels can properly make such determinations. Earlier this month the Divisional Court did just that in Takashima v. Ontario College of

A recurring problem for regulators, particularly for professions with fewer numbers, is to try to constitute panels to deal with complaints or discipline. Too often all available professional panel members know the practitioner or a key witness.

A regional session of the Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation (CLEAR) was held early this month in Toronto on the topic of transparency by regulators. The well-attended event examined transparency from two perspectives: transparency of process (e.g., when making rules) and openness of information about individual practitioners.