The complainant is usually not a party
In college discipline, the parties are typically the regulator and the member. The complainant may testify as a witness.
Professional discipline hearings are held by panels that usually include members of the profession and members of the public. The regulator is represented by a prosecutor; the complainant is generally a witness, not a party. Licensing hearings are held by independent tribunals such as the Licence Appeal Tribunal or the Financial Services Tribunal, which can confirm the regulator’s proposal, change it, or substitute their own decision.
Many matters resolve before or during a hearing through an agreed statement of facts and a joint submission on penalty. Several regulators also offer statutory complaint resolution processes at the hearing stage.
Who holds the hearing
| Professions or licences | Hearing body |
|---|---|
| Physicians; psychotherapists; massage therapists; occupational therapists; physiotherapists | Health Professions Discipline Tribunals (OPSDT, ORPDT, OMTDT, OOTDT, OPDT) |
| Other regulated health professions | The college’s Discipline Committee |
| Lawyers and paralegals | Law Society Tribunal Hearing Division |
| Teachers; early childhood educators; social workers | The college’s Discipline Committee |
| Engineers; architects; veterinarians; CPAs | The regulator’s Discipline Committee |
| Dealers, real estate, condo managers, builders, child care, liquor, cannabis | Licence Appeal Tribunal (licensing); regulator discipline committees (codes of ethics) |
| Mortgage and insurance licensees | Financial Services Tribunal |
Summary only. Each regime has exceptions and conditions. Read the cited provision and get advice about your notice.
Key Points
Hearings are generally public
Most discipline hearings are open to the public, with publication bans available for sensitive matters such as complainant identities.
Settlement is common
Agreed statements of fact and joint submissions on penalty resolve many matters, but panels are not always bound to accept them.
Guides in This Topic
- What to Expect at a Discipline HearingRead →
- Agreed Statements of Fact and Joint Submissions on PenaltyRead →
- Disclosure: What the Regulator Must Give You Before a HearingRead →
- Testifying at Your Own HearingRead →
- Expert Evidence at Discipline HearingsRead →
- Publication Bans and Closed HearingsRead →
- Virtual Hearings: Practical PreparationRead →
- Self-Represented at a Discipline HearingRead →
- Complaint Resolution at the Hearing StageRead →
- Costs Orders in Discipline ProceedingsRead →
- Preparing for a Licence Appeal Tribunal HearingRead →
- Character Letters and Mitigation EvidenceRead →
- Witnesses at Discipline Hearings: Preparing and Cross-ExaminingRead →
Sources
- Health Professions Procedural Code, ss. 51–52 — Checked on e-Laws November 10, 2026.
- Law Society Act, ss. 34–35, 49.21 — Checked on e-Laws November 10, 2026.
- Ontario College of Teachers Act, 1996, ss. 30–30.1 — Checked on e-Laws November 10, 2026.
- Licence Appeal Tribunal Act, 1999 — Checked on e-Laws November 10, 2026.
Keep Learning About Your Proceeding
Read how Ontario regulatory proceedings typically unfold, or compare how other regulators handle complaints, hearings and appeals.