The applicant nurse was not successful in his application for judicial review relating to the respondent College’s demand that he attend an independent medical examination

24. February 2015 0
Administrative law – Decisions of administrative tribunals – College of Nurses – Investigations – Independent Medical Examination – Charter of Rights and Freedoms – Application to disciplinary proceedings – Nurses – Disciplinary proceedings – Competence – Public interest – Judicial review – Compliance with legislation – Standard of review – Reasonableness simpliciter Iacovelli v. College ...

A successful appeal by a physician (Dr. Swart) with respect to the Respondent College’s decision that he was unfit to practice

24. February 2015 0
Administrative law – Decisions of administrative tribunals – College of Physicians and Surgeons – Investigations – Physicians and Surgeons – Disciplinary proceedings – Competence – Professional misconduct / conduct unbecoming – Penalties – Judicial review – Procedural requirements and fairness – Evidence – Standard of review – Reasonableness simpliciter Swart v. College of Physicians and ...

Lawyer was suspended after not satisfying Law Society’s requirement to complete 12 CPD hours per year. Lawyer challenged the validity of the CPD rules on the basis that the Law Society did not have authority to enact the mandatory rules, and the rules violate the rules of natural justice because they give the Law Society the authority to enact a suspension without a hearing or right of appeal. The court was satisfied that the powers set out in the Legal Profession Act are broad enough to allow for the creation of a mandatory CPD program, and held that the rules, with the penalty of a suspension, are procedurally proportionate to the gravity of the non-compliance offence. The court found that a disciplinary hearing process, such as the kind that accompanies allegations of professional misconduct, is not necessary in CPD non-compliance matters, and that the lack of a hearing and right of appeal do not constitute breaches of the procedural fairness rules.

24. February 2015 0
Administrative law – Decisions of administrative tribunals – Law Societies – Powers under legislation – Self-governing professions – Rules and by-laws – Barristers and solicitors – Training requirements – Continuing Professional Development – Disciplinary proceedings – Penalties – Public interest – Judicial review – Procedural requirements and fairness – Natural justice Green v. Law Society ...

Application for declaration that mandatory revocation provisions under the Health Professions Procedural Code are unconstitutional as being ultra vires the province

27. January 2015 0
Administrative law – Decisions of administrative tribunals – College of Pharmacists – Pharmacists – Disciplinary proceedings – Professional misconduct – Sexual relations with patients – Penalties and suspensions – Judicial review – Compliance with legislation – Jurisdiction of court – Legislation – Constitutional issues – Ultra vires Hanif v. Ontario, [2014] O.J. No. 5549, 2014 ...

An Applicant sought judicial review of a decision by the Complaints Committee of the Respondent Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario not to refer his complaint to its Discipline Committee. The Applicant further filed a motion for production of all documents related to the investigation of the Applicant’s complaint, the proceedings before the COC, and the decision of the COC. The Court dismissed the application for production, finding that the decision of the COC not to deal with a complaint was an exercise of discretion authorized by statute, falling outside of the definition of a statutory power of decision. Given the nature of the screening out decision, the requirement for producing the record of proceedings as framed by the Applicant was overly broad at this stage in the proceedings.

23. December 2014 0
Administrative law – Decisions of administrative tribunals – Association of Professional Engineers – Engineers – Disciplinary proceedings – Professional misconduct – Investigations – Judicial review – Disclosure of records Harrison v. Assn. of Professional Engineers of Ontario, [2014] O.J. No. 5382, 2014 ONSC 6549, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, November 12, 2014, R. Beaudoin J. The Applicant ...

A lawyer (“Peet”) was found guilty of conduct unbecoming by a Hearing Committee of the Law Society of Saskatchewan (“Law Society”) for failing to service two clients in a diligent manner and for failing to reply promptly to Law Society communications. A suspension of 30 days and costs of $16,216.80 were issued as a penalty against Peet. Peet had previously been found guilty of disciplinary offences before the Law Society in 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2008.

23. December 2014 0
Administrative law – Decisions of administrative tribunals – Law Societies – Charter of Rights and Freedoms – Barristers and solicitors – Professional misconduct / conduct unbecoming – Disciplinary proceedings – Penalties and suspensions – Judicial review – Abuse of process – Public interest – Delay – Standard of review – Reasonableness simpliciterr of Rights and ...

The Court allowed a petition brought by the College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia. The College took issue with a decision of the Respondent, Health Professions Review Board relating to Dr. Ronald Scammell’s treatment for Ms. Patsy McConville.

25. November 2014 0
Administrative law – Decisions of administrative tribunals – College of Dental Surgeons – Investigations – Health Professions Review Board – Dentists – Disciplinary proceedings – Competence – Judicial review – Standard of review – Patent unreasonableness – Jurisdiction College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia v. Health Professions Review Board, [2014] B.C.J. No. 2443, 2014 ...

The New Brunswick Court of Queen’s Bench dismissed the applicant physician’s judicial review application regarding a preliminary decision made by the College of Physicians and Surgeons. The Court declined to exercise its supervisory jurisdiction over the matter since it found that the complainant had adequate alternative remedies available to him under the Medical Act and failed to exhaust those before seeking judicial review. In respect of an evidentiary issue that was raised at the outset, the Court ruled that letters of complaint from patients underlying the proceedings between the College and the physician were inadmissible in the judicial review record because they were protected by privacy and privilege as per section 71.2(2) of the Medical Act.

25. November 2014 0
Administrative law – Decisions of administrative tribunals – College of Physicians and Surgeons – Physicians and Surgeons – Disciplinary proceedings – Professional misconduct / conduct unbecoming – Judicial review – Procedural requirements and fairness – Natural justice – Compliance with legislation – Evidence – admissibility – Remedies – Alternative remedies Cockeram v. College of Physicians ...

Law Society Hearing Panel concluded that appellant lawyer could not be found to have committed fraud in “flip transactions” in absence of evidence from other persons involved in the allegedly fraudulent transactions. The Appeal Panel found that the Hearing Panel made errors of law in respect of what is required to prove fraud, and ordered a new hearing. On review, the court determined that the standard of review was reasonableness, since the decision regarding the application of the test for fraud to the facts is a question of mixed fact and law. The court ruled that the Appeal Panel’s decision was reasonable, and dismissed the appellant’s appeal.

23. September 2014 0
Administrative law – Decisions of administrative tribunals – Law Societies – Barristers and solicitors – Professional misconduct or conduct unbecoming – Competence – Fraudulent transactions – Disciplinary proceedings – Penalties – Judicial review – Evidence – Standard of review – Reasonableness simpliciter Law Society of Upper Canada v. Talarico, [2014] O.J. No. 3617, 2014 ONSC ...

Decision by the Alberta Court of Appeal overturning a decision by the Alberta Securities Commission that found five individuals culpable of charges stemming from insider trading

23. September 2014 0
Administrative law – Decisions of administrative tribunals – Securities Commission – Stock brokers – Disciplinary proceedings – Penalties – Judicial review – Evidence – Compliance with legislation Walton v. Alberta (Securities Commission), [2014] A.J. No. 909, 2014 ABCA 273, Alberta Court of Appeal, August 29, 2014, P.W.L. Martin, F.F. Slatter JJ.A. and R.E. Nation J. ...