WeirFoulds regularly acts for professional regulatory bodies established by legislation. These public authorities govern professions such as law, accounting, engineering, social work, early childhood education and a variety of professionals in the healthcare sector. We also advise public bodies that regulate industries pursuant to statutory powers granted to these bodies by federal or provincial legislation. In all cases, we assist regulatory bodies with their mandates to serve and protect the public interest, maintain high standards among registrants and licensees and foster public confidence.
WeirFoulds has extensive experience advising regulatory bodies that govern regulated professionals and industries on matters related to their mandate to serve and protect the public interest. We assist governing bodies with registration and licensing matters, establishing codes of ethics and standards of practise, investigations of complaints and reports, conducting disciplinary and fitness to practice proceedings and conducting enforcement proceedings.
Our lawyers have acted as external general counsel to regulators, advising on such matters as corporate governance, statutory mandate, statutory compliance and interpretation, regulations, by-laws and policies, investigations and discipline proceedings, commercial transactions, intellectual property, and litigation, including judicial review. We have worked closely with regulators’ in-house counsel to provide whatever additional assistance is needed to further the objects of the regulator.
We also act as independent legal counsel to several regulatory bodies, assisting tribunal members in the context of hearings. WeirFoulds is a leader in the area of human rights litigation and provides training, advice and representation on human rights issues in regulatory proceedings and before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.
All of these engagements require a sensitivity to the unique legal challenges presented in advising regulatory authorities – a sensitivity that our lawyers have acquired through many years of experience.
