Joining a profession does not mean a person gives up their Charter right to free expression in Canada. At least, it shouldn’t mean that.

Many professions in Canada are ‘self-regulating,’ meaning that a governing body representing said professionals are given state-backed authority to decide who can practice in that field. They set important standards for conduct between practitioners and their clients as well as act as gatekeepers to the practice within a province.

In recent years, the CCF has become increasingly concerned with these types of bodies overstepping their original purpose. As these regulatory bodies are empowered by law to be the regulator of their profession, they should be treated as something more akin to a government body than an independent private entity. That means they are subject to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.