Self-Governance

Democratic Self-Governance
This paper reviews the unique system of Democratic Self Governance evolved by Canada to govern and regulate the Professions. We focus on the Applied Science and Engineering
professions.
Democratic Self-Governance Paper

Search for Advocacy
The Author, Peter DeVita reviews the past and how ‘yesteryears’ issues persist today. It describes the resolve required to address the issues of the day and how to move forward with the structure needed today.
Part 2 Combo Rev F 2.33

McRuer Report Vol 3-Section 4Self Governance

In Ontario, there are twenty-two self-governing professions and occupations which have been given statutory power to license, govern and control those persons engaged in them. The power conferring statutes are: the Architects Act, the Chiropody Act, the Dentistry Act, the Dental Technicians Act, the Drugless Practitioners Act (covering physiotherapists, chiropractors, masseurs, naturopaths and osteopaths), the Embalmers and Funeral Directors Act, the Law Society Act, the Medical Act, the Nurses Act, the Ophthalmic Dispensers Act, the Optometry Act,  the Pharmacy Act, the Professional Engineers Act, the Psychologists Registration Act, the Public Accountancy Act, the Radiological Technicians Act, the Surveyors Act, and the Veterinarians Act.

The callings covered by these statutes include those which have been known traditionally as professions, requiring many years of education and training before one is qualified to practice, as well as occupations where the educational standards are not high, but the emphasis is on technical skill. Those callings which are customarily thought of as professions cannot be precisely defined. They all have some features in common, but all these features will not be found in any single profession, and many of them are not found in occupations which are not normally classed as professions.

This section of the McRuer Report covers “The Power of Self-Governance” (63 pages)
McRuer Report Vol3 Section 4 – Self Governance

McRuer Report Vol 3-Section 2 

The granting of self-government is a delegation of legislative and judicial function and can only be justified as a safeguard to the public interest. The power is not conferred to give or reinforce a professional or occupational Status. The relevant question is not, “do the practitioners of this occupation desire the power of self-government?”, but is self government necessary for the protection of the public?”
https://e4pinc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/McRuer-Vol-3-Section-2-Licensure.pdf

The Speech That Moved Our Profession
To open the session, the President called on F. H. Peters, M.E.I.C., to read his paper: Legislation Concerning the Status of Engineers. The question to be discussed is a very big one indeed, and it is not expected that the paper being submitted can cover the whole question exhaustively or completely. Rather the endeavor will be to bring out the essential points concerning this great question and deal with them in a general way. I do not want to be understood as expressing any final ideas as to how the question should be worked out in detail, but rather to place on record a little history of the movement since its start from the resolution passed by the Calgary branch last summer— much in the same way as this resolution was passed—to act as a feeler and bring out a general expression of opinion.

This speech motivated the profession to create the Legislation Committee. This led to the eventual creation of the Engineering Licensing bodies. 
1918 – The Speech That Moved Our Profession

The Report of The Professional Organizations Committee Act (1980)
By letter of April 6, 1976 to the Ontario Law Reform Commission, the Attorney General of Ontario requested a review of statutes governing the professions of public accounting, architecture, engineering and law “with a view to making recommendations to the Government for comprehensive legislation setting the legal framework within which these professions are to operate.” The reference asked for a review of the following statutes: 1. 2. 3. The Architects Act; The Law Society Act; The Notaries Act; 4.The Professional Engineers Act 5.The Public Accountancy Act.

While the report was never publicly released, many of the recommendation have been enacted in legislation.
The Report of The Professional Organization Committee Act (April 1980)