SML’s Grey Areas newsletter has been in publication since July 1992 and discusses the latest developments in professional regulation. New issues are published monthly – subscribe below to learn more about recent studies, case law and legislative updates in the regulatory world. Explore our catalogue below.
Issues published before 2020 can be found on CanLII.
Canadian policy makers and regulators have been looking to other countries for insights into, and alternative ways of, regulating professions. Generally, the systems examined are from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. To a lesser extent, regulators have looked to the European Economic Community. Rarely have regulatory systems elsewhere been examined in detail.
Regulators are increasingly moving towards “compassionate regulation”. These initiatives sometimes follow instances of self-harm by registrants facing complaints, investigation, and discipline.
In the last issue of Grey Areas, we analyzed the allocation of the attention by Boards of Directors of regulators within four categories: 1. Public Protection 2. Governance 3. Education of the Board, and 4. Board-Level Operations.
A precious resource for regulators is the time, energy, and attention of their Board of Directors (sometimes called their Council). As the highest-level decision maker within the organization, a Board needs to prioritize its efforts to ensure that the regulator is effective. Board members typically are volunteers (honoraria tend to be modest) who devote only a part of their professional
Since the establishment of the Professional Standards Authority (PSA), Canadian regulators have been monitoring professional regulation developments in the United Kingdom. Some, but certainly not all, of the approaches taken in the UK have been adapted by some Canadian jurisdictions and regulators. Most notable was the enactment of the Health Professions and Occupations Act in British Columbia.
Vastly different words are used to describe the concept, each with their own moral implications: “snitch”, “informant”, “whistleblower”, “professional”. Whatever term is used, an obligation to report problematic conduct by other registrants is an important regulatory tool. Such information enables the regulator to investigate issues of misconduct, incompetence, or incapacity that may place the public at risk and that might