Governance
SAFEGUARDING FAIRNESS The Important Role of Fairness Oversight in Canada's Professional Regulatory Sector Dean Benard, President and CEO
I Dean Benard
Benard + Associates
n Canada, Fairness Commissioners and similar entities (we’ll call them Fairness Commissioners for this article) play a crucial role in overseeing the registration practices of regulatory bodies. Each year, we have seen more provinces, through new or amended legislation, create fairness commissioners with mandates to ensure the registration processes of professional regulatory bodies are equitable, transparent, and just. But what do these overseers do precisely, and why is their presence significant in safeguarding the public?
latory sector, ensuring that professional certification and licensure processes adhere to principles that allow for the smooth integration of internationally trained professionals. Their goal is to aid in cultivating a diverse and inclusive professional environment. These “overseers of fairness” operate to ensure the following principles are the foundation of regulatory decision-making:
Transparency
In the broadest sense, they serve as Transparency and clarity around an impartial overseer in the regu- rules and process is critical. It isn’t 24 THEREGISTRAR.CA
