Abbira Vijayakumaran

The applicant, a family physician, sought judicial review of a decision by the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board confirming a remedial caution issued by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

The caution related to public statements the applicant made objecting to her church's COVID-19 communion protocols, in which she identified herself as a physician.

The applicant argued the decisions failed to reasonably balance her Charter right to religious expression under the Doré framework.

The Divisional Court dismissed the application, finding the screening committee reasonably balanced its statutory mandate to protect the public with the applicant's Charter rights, noting she was not precluded from expressing religious views, but cautioned on identifying herself as a physician when doing so.

The defendant lawyer brought a motion to strike out the plaintiffs' statement of claim alleging professional negligence in his representation of the plaintiff dentist during a regulatory discipline proceeding.

The defendant argued the claim was incapable of proof due to the absolute prohibition on admitting discipline proceeding records in civil actions under s. 36(3) of the Regulated Health Professions Act.

The court dismissed the motion, finding the defendant required leave to bring the motion due to delay and having taken a fresh step by filing a statement of defence, and denied leave.

The court further noted that even if leave were granted, the claim would not be struck as the plaintiffs might prove their case using other admissible evidence, such as patient records and admissions in the pleadings.