Professional disciplinary proceedings are those proceedings conducted and carried out by a governing licensing board. These types of proceedings are common in the healthcare and legal fields, as well as other fields where a professional license is required to be able to work in that particular job or career. For example, doctors, nurses, psychologists, and lawyers are all professionals that have to obtain a professional license.
Professional Disciplinary Proceedings Lawyer in Brampton
What Does a Licensing Board Do?
A licensing board is responsible for governing and overseeing the professionals of a particular career field by monitoring the actions and conduct of their licensed professionals. When a licensed professional conducts themselves in a manner that is not consistent with the requirements and regulations of that field, the licensing board can require a mandatory review.
At the review, if they determine the individual is no longer conducting themselves in a professional manner reflective of the career field, the board can suspend or revoke their professional license.
Disciplinary proceedings should be taken seriously as they can affect your ability to continue to work in your chosen career field. If you have been served notice you must appear before your licensing board, it is worth your time to consult with a professional disciplinary proceedings lawyer in Brampton at Manbir Sodhi Law.
Do I Have to Report to My Board If I Have Been Charged with a Criminal Offence?
Your licensing board may have specific requirements where you must report the criminal offence to them. You may have a duty to do so, sometimes as soon as you are charged for a criminal offence. If you fail to do so, you could risk losing your professional license. Even if you are eventually found not guilty or the charges are dropped, you could still lose your license simply because you failed to report it as required.
The bylaws, rules, and regulations for your particular professional field should detail what types of crimes you must report to your licensing board. If the criminal offence you are charged with is not listed, then you may not be required to report it.
Can I Still Work After Reporting a Criminal Offence to the Licensing Board?
It will largely depend on your licensing board and type of crime committed. For instance, if you were charged with a first-offence impaired driving charge, your board may allow you to still work in your career field, pending the outcome of your charges.
On the other hand, if you were charged with sexual assault, your licensing board may feel that allowing you to continue to work may look bad for other professionals in your career field. To avoid bad publicity they could temporarily suspend you pending the outcome of your charges.
If you are being investigated by your licensing board or are facing a criminal charge and not sure if you need to report it, schedule a FREE consultation at Manbir Sodhi Law to speak with our professional disciplinary proceedings lawyer in Brampton.