Can regulators discipline retired professionals?

Yes. Most professional regulatory statutes in Ontario provide that a person who holds or has held a certificate or licence remains subject to the regulator’s jurisdiction for conduct that occurred while they held it.

Does freedom of speech protect professionals on social media?

Freedom of expression is protected under the Charter but it is not absolute. Professional regulators may lawfully limit that right when necessary to protect the public interest.

Is a personal social media account private for professional discipline purposes?

No. Regulators frequently treat public social media activity as potential professional misconduct when it reflects on a professional’s fitness to hold a licence or on the reputation of the profession.

April 22, 2026 - Tamir Litigation Law Firm

You Cannot License Someone Without Finding Them Worthy of Public Trust: The Ontario Court of Appeal Clarifies the Good Character Requirement

The Ontario Court of Appeal has clarified what the good character requirement actually demands of licensing panels. Working through the standard Armstrong factors: remorse, rehabilitation, passage of time is not enough. Panels must step back and ask the harder question: would granting this licence be consistent with public trust in the legal profession? In Law Society of Ontario v AA, the Tribunal failed to ask that question. The Court of Appeal set the decision aside.

by Anna Tamir, LL.B

on Apr 22

Posts in April 22, 2026

You Cannot License Someone Without Finding Them Worthy of Public Trust: The Ontario Court of Appeal Clarifies the Good Character Requirement

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