The AIBC had been seeking legislative amendments to authorize consensual resolution since the autumn of 2009, when a B.C. Court of Appeal decision involving the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C. (APEGBC) led AIBC Council to put the institute’s successful consensual resolution process on hold pending statutory reform. As a result, charges of unprofessional conduct were heard at formal disciplinary inquiries, the only statutory mechanism available at the time.
Prior to the 2009 court decision, the AIBC had resolved most disciplinary allegations against architects and other registrants through a consensual resolution process established by AIBC Council Rules in 2001. After the APEGBC court case, the AIBC sought amendments to the Architects Act to specifically provide for alternative resolution of disciplinary matters.
On March 29, 2012, the provincial government enacted into law Bill 18 – the Advanced Education Statutes Amendment Act 2011. This bill amended the Architects Act to allow for a consensual resolution process for disciplinary matters related to members, associates, architectural firms and licensees.
The amendments required that bylaws establish the actual practices and procedures for the consensual resolution process. The AIBC’s Bylaw Review Committee, with council consultation and input, proposed new bylaws which were overwhelmingly supported (96% in favour) by AIBC members. The bylaws came into effect during the summer of 2013. Read more about the bylaw initiative on consensual resolution.