The recent decision of Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice in Peterson v. College of Psychologists of Ontario, 2023 ONSC 4685, reminds professionals that their right of free speech under Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms is not unlimited and, further, that professional regulators may sanction members who make public remarks that could be unprofessional or […]
2020 has been marked by a series of significant public health and economic actions by both the federal and provincial governments in Canada in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In developing these policies, governments engaged and continue to engage with business groups, unions, social groups, and non-governmental agencies in Canada. They have received and continue to receive solicited and unsolicited representations from the public, including businesses, as the policies and programs evolve.
The long-awaited decision of the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal in Strom v Saskatchewan Registered Nurses’ Association, 2020 SKCA 112, was recently released. The decision considers when and if members of a professional association can be sanctioned by their professional association for comments made on social media, as well as whether a professional association can infringe on a member’s Charter-protected freedom of speech in sanctioning members for off-duty conduct.