EDMONTON — Alberta is introducing legislation that would limit the power of professional regulatory bodies to discipline members for opinions expressed on their own time, framing the move as a response to what it calls growing overreach by regulators across the country.
The proposed Regulated Professions Neutrality Act would prohibit disciplinary action for off-duty expression unless it involves threats of physical violence, criminal convictions or other narrowly defined circumstances. The bill would also restrict regulators from requiring training that is unrelated to competence or ethics and set out neutrality principles preventing regulators from assigning value or blame based on personal or political beliefs.
The government says recent controversies, including the Ontario College of Psychologists’ disciplinary proceedings against Jordan Peterson and cases involving nurses and engineers, show regulators have increasingly weighed in on personal expression rather than professional conduct. Alberta argues the legislation is intended to draw clearer boundaries while preserving existing standards of competence and ethics.
The act would also establish a uniform standard of review for courts and internal appeal bodies considering decisions linked to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Alberta Bill of Rights or the proposed statute.
The province consulted more than one hundred regulated professions during a review last fall. If passed, the changes would take effect upon proclamation.
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