Doctors, nurses, teachers and lawyers are a few examples of professionals who are governed by regulatory bodies that impose rules and bylaws that must be followed by their profession. Any rule-breaking can result in the person facing disciplinary sanctions that could impact whether or not they are allowed to continue working in that field.
Sometimes a complaint made to a Professional College against a professional can trigger an investigation and a subsequent disciplinary proceeding against the professional in question. If a finding of professional misconduct is made, licensing bodies generally have the power to institute various forms of punishment including, but not limited to: remedial work, fines, suspension and even revocation of the professional's licence to practice. Disciplinary proceedings before a regulatory tribunal are extremely serious and can be very stressful to the professional facing the allegations. Because these kinds of proceedings can disrupt, suspend or terminate a professional's license to practice their profession, they must be handled with care and fastidious attention to detail.