Frequently Asked Questions

Anyone can make a Complaint about a current or former AIBC Registrant (Architect, Intern Architect, Architectural Technologist, Retired Architect, Firm Registrant, or Temporary Licensee (Architect) if they have concerns that they behaved in an unprofessional manner, engaged in conduct unbecoming, are incompetent or are unfit to practice, or have breached the Professional Governance Act, Architects Regulation, or AIBC Bylaws, including Schedule A: Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.

The AIBC does not have the authority to address purely commercial disputes or issues, compel a Registrant to pay a Complainant or other party money, insist that an Architect remain on or withdraw from a Project, or take specific action on a Project.

The AIBC also has the authority to not investigate Complaints that are frivolous, vexatious, an abuse of process, or made in bad faith.

Yes. If you have concerns related to the conduct or competence expected from an AIBC Registrant, or the Professional Standards that may be applicable, you may want to consult the resources on the AIBC website, or contact the Practice Advice department at practiceadvice@aibc.ca. Please note that Practice Advice is provided by email only.

If you have questions on how to file a Complaint or the professional conduct process, you may consult the resources on the Professional Conduct webpage found on the AIBC website, or contact a professional conduct officer at complaints@aibc.ca, or by telephone at 604.305.2693.

First, verify that the individual or Firm you are making a Complaint about is an AIBC Registrant or a Former Registrant. This can be done by searching the AIBC Register: aibc.ca/resources/online-directory/.

If the individual or Firm is listed on the AIBC Register, then you can make your Complaint.

There are three ways you can submit a Complaint:

1) By Email: Provide details of your concerns in writing, and then send to complaints@aibc.ca.

2) Complete and Submit a Form: Fill in the AIBC Professional Conduct Complaint Form and submit it either by:

Email: complaints@aibc.ca; or

Mail: Architectural Institute of British Columbia
Attn: Director of Professional Conduct
100 – 440 Cambie Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 2N5

3) By Telephone: speaking with a professional conduct officer by telephone at 604.305.2693 and providing details of your concerns which will be recorded in writing, and a copy sent to you to review for completeness and accuracy.

Please also provide any relevant documents that you have which assist in explaining the concerns identified in the Complaint. This may include your Client-Architect Contract or fee proposal, architectural drawings, correspondence, invoices, or any other records.

If you require assistance, including language proficiency or any other capacity issues, in making or submitting a written Complaint, please contact a professional conduct officer by telephone at 604.305.2693.

In general, the AIBC does not investigate Complaints made anonymously since further information is usually required to properly and fairly proceed with the professional conduct process. It is preferred that you provide your contact information.

The AIBC does occasionally receive information anonymously, or requests for anonymity from Complainants. In such circumstances, the AIBC may act as the nominal Complainant based on the nature of the information received, including the apparent credibility and seriousness of issues raised and issue of prejudice and safety of naming or identifying sources of information. A person requesting anonymity does not receive further Complaint information or updates about its progress in the event a matter proceeds to investigation, although their identity may be revealed in the event of a Discipline Hearing.

If a Complaint arises out of the statutory duty to report set out in section 58 of the Professional Governance Act or from the ethical duty to report set out in AIBC Bylaws (Schedule A: Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, Professional Standards 10.6 and 10.8), the AIBC does not typically reveal the Complainant’s identity.

The AIBC becomes the nominal Complainant based on the information received. The Complainant who provided the report does not receive any further information or updates about the Complaint’s progress, but may be required to provide supplementary information as part of the investigation process and may be required to provide testimony in the event of a Discipline Hearing.

The AIBC will notify you in writing if a Complaint is received about you or your Firm and will provide you with a copy or summary of the Complaint. You will be asked to provide the AIBC with your written response.

You will also receive information about the professional conduct process and be informed about the next steps.

The AIBC recognizes that receiving a Complaint and going through the professional conduct process can be very stressful. It is important to note that while stressful, all regulated professionals (such as engineers, doctors, nurses, accountants, lawyers) are subject to Complaint and investigation processes, and receiving a Complaint during a career is not uncommon.

Professionalism attracts criticism and debate. A Complaint is not a finding of fault. Treat the Complaint as a professional task: co-operate, seek information, and meet deadlines.

You are advised to take a breath, review the information carefully, and respond in a timely and professional manner. Seek advice as needed with a trusted colleague or law firm and remember that an investigation may take several months to resolve.

You are reminded that you have a professional obligation (Professional Standard 1.3(c)) to respond to the AIBC and are encouraged to reach out to the AIBC professional conduct department if you have any questions at any stage of the process.

• Email: Send your questions to complaints@aibc.ca
• Phone: Speak with a professional conduct officer at 604.305.2693

All current AIBC Registrants are subject to the professional conduct process and have an obligation to respond and co-operate.

All Former Registrants of AIBC are also subject to the same professional conduct process and have an obligation to respond and co-operate. This means that a Registrant who resigns before, during, or after the intake, investigation, or discipline process has begun, will remain subject to the jurisdiction of the AIBC. There is no ‘statute of limitations’, or deadline, for filing a Complaint against any Registrant governed by the Professional Governance Act.

As the subject of a Complaint (also known as the Respondent), you have a professional obligation (Professional Standard 1.3(c)) to respond promptly to all AIBC communication requiring a response and to co-operate fully with the investigation.

If your matter proceeds to an investigation, you may be asked to provide drawings, renderings, specifications, contracts, records and other materials or documents reasonably relevant to the investigation. You may also be asked to attend an interview. These are all typical components of an investigation.

The AIBC recognizes that receiving a Complaint and going through the professional conduct process can be very stressful. However, all regulated professionals (such as engineers, doctors, nurses, accountants, lawyers) are subject to Complaint and investigation processes, and receiving a Complaint during one’s professional career is not uncommon. A Complaint is not a conviction: It is a matter that must be investigated by way of a fair process.

Professionalism attracts criticism and debate. A Complaint is not a finding of fault. Treat the Complaint as a professional task: co-operate, seek information, and meet deadlines.

It is recommended that you take a moment to consider the Complaint, review the information carefully, and respond in a timely and professional manner. Seek advice as needed with a trusted colleague or legal team and remember that an investigation may take several months to resolve.

You are encouraged to reach out to the AIBC professional conduct department if you have any questions at any stage of the process.

• Email: Send your questions to complaints@aibc.ca
• Phone: Speak with a professional conduct officer at 604.305.2693

When the AIBC receives a Complaint, the Complainant will receive an acknowledgment e-mail, and a file is opened. The Registrant who is named in the Complaint (also referred to as the “Respondent”) is provided with a copy of the Complaint for their response. A copy of that response, or a summary of it, will be provided to the Complainant, and the Complainant may provide additional information or comments in response.

The Complaint and all response materials are then provided to the AIBC Investigation Committee who will review and consider how to proceed. If the Investigation Committee determines to proceed with an investigation, a Lead Investigator is assigned to investigate the Complaint. The extent of the investigation will depend on the seriousness and complexity of the Complaint. The investigation can include steps such as obtaining and reviewing relevant documents or conducting interviews with the people involved, including but not always, the Complainant.

After the Lead Investigator has completed the investigation, a Final Investigation Report is provided to the Investigation Committee who determines whether the matter proceeds to discipline.

• More details about the Investigation Committee’s role, composition, and authority, is available in its Terms of Reference and AIBC Bylaws 6 to 3.7 and 3.10 to 3.21.
• The professional conduct process is found at AIBC Bylaws 3 to 6.28.

The AIBC Bylaws and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act require the AIBC to maintain confidentiality in the professional conduct process in most circumstances. However, this is not absolute.

When a Complaint is received, only professional conduct staff at the AIBC are aware of the Complaint – in addition to the Registrant when notified and asked to respond. Throughout the investigation process, the Lead Investigators may disclose information to parties and witnesses, as necessary, to adequately conduct its investigation in the public interest and in accordance with procedural fairness requirements.

If a Complaint results in discipline charges, the Respondent is entitled to a high level of disclosure of documents and in the case of a Discipline Violation, the outcome is made public.

If a Complaint investigation results in a Discipline Violation, it is published on the AIBC website in accordance with section 75(8) of the Professional Governance Act and the requirements under AIBC Bylaw heading 8.0 Public Disclosure.

Yes, further information about the intake and investigation process is found at AIBC Bylaws 6.3 to 6.28.

Although there is no requirement to do so, you are entitled to seek legal advice, at your own expense, at any time during the professional conduct process. Registrants may also wish to consult with a trusted colleague.

No, the AIBC’s public protection mandate requires it to investigate and resolve all Complaints that raise concerns about a Registrant’s conduct or competence. As such, Complainants cannot ask to terminate an Investigation or “withdraw” a Complaint after it has been submitted.

If a Complainant does not wish to continue with their Complaint, in most cases, they are not obligated to participate in the process and the AIBC will not provide the Complainant with updates as the investigation progresses.

The AIBC is supportive of the Respondent and the Complainant resolving issues amicably. In some cases, appropriate corrective action or an apology can go a long way. However, this does not cancel a Complaint itself.

The AIBC’s public protection mandate requires it to investigate and resolve all Complaints that raise concerns about a Registrant’s conduct or competence. Therefore, even if a satisfactory resolution has been reached between the parties, a Complaint cannot be “withdrawn” at the Complainant’s request. In addition, it is not appropriate for a Registrant (and may itself constitute unprofessional conduct) to try to persuade a Complainant to not file a Complaint or to withdraw a Complaint.

A typical investigation usually takes between nine and 12 months to complete from the date the Investigation Committee decides to initiate an investigation. The timeline of the investigation depends on the complexity of the Complaint, the co-operation and availability of the involved parties, and the workload of the Investigation Committee and the Lead Investigator.

The Complainant and the Respondent are provided with periodic updates throughout the professional conduct process, as applicable.

If the Investigation Committee decides to investigate a Complaint, a Lead Investigator is assigned to conduct the investigation, which includes gathering documentation and conducting interviews as appropriate.

Once the investigation is concluded, the Lead Investigator prepares a Final Investigation Report which is provided to the Respondent for review and comment. This is then forwarded to the Investigation Committee for review and deliberation on whether the matter proceeds to discipline. The Lead Investigator and any additional Investigator(s) involved with the investigation of the Complaint do not participate in the Investigation Committee’s review and decision-making process.

The Complainant and the Respondent will then receive notice of the Investigation Committee’s decision and next steps, if any.

The purpose of the Complaint investigation is to gather information about the Respondent’s alleged professional misconduct, conduct unbecoming or incompetent practice to allow the Investigation Committee to assess whether there is support for discipline charges.

If the Investigation Committee determines there is no basis for discipline charges, it will close the Complaint file with no further action, or with a letter of recommendation to the Respondent on how to improve their practice or conduct.

If the Investigation Committee determines the Complaint investigation supports discipline charges, it has the option to propose a resolution to the Respondent.

The three resolution options are:

1. Consent order
2. Reprimand or remedial action by consent (RRAC)
3. Alternative complaint resolution (ACR)

The Investigation Committee also has the option to direct the Registrar to issue a Citation ordering a Discipline Hearing.

The proposed Complaint resolution or the Citation will specify the alleged breaches of the Professional Governance Act or the Professional Standards in the AIBC Bylaws, Schedule A: Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct that are at issue.

The AIBC has the authority to impose penalties that include: a reprimand, a monetary penalty of up to $100,000 for individual Registrants and up to $250,000 for Firm Registrants, educational courses, a period of suspension of registration, and cancellation of registration.

More information on these outcomes is found on the Professional Conduct page of the AIBC website and sections 72 – 75 of the Professional Governance Act.

A decision made by the Investigation Committee regarding the outcome of a Complaint is not subject to appeal under any further AIBC process. However, it may be subject to judicial review, a legal process where the court is asked to review the decision to see if it was unreasonable or unfair, or you can make a complaint to the office of the BC Ombudsperson. The AIBC recommends that any person considering seeking judicial review obtain legal advice. The AIBC does not provide legal advice to its Registrants or the public.

If the Investigation Committee closes a Complaint, that outcome is confidential, except where disclosure may be required by law.

If a Complaint results in a Discipline Violation, the outcome will become public in accordance with the public disclosure provisions in part 8 of the AIBC Bylaws.

Recent discipline records can be viewed on the AIBC website: aibc.ca/protecting-the-public/professional-conduct/disciplinary-decisions/. Older discipline records can be found on the AIBC Register.

A Citation is the name given to a document that commences a Discipline Hearing. The Citation will name the Respondent, describe the charges of professional misconduct, conduct unbecoming or incompetent practice made against a Registrant, specify the date, time, and location of the Discipline Hearing, and advise that the Discipline Hearing can proceed in the Respondent’s absence.

A Citation ordering a Discipline Hearing is issued if the Investigation Committee has reason to believe that the conduct or competence of a Registrant warrants discipline and does not propose a Complaint resolution.

A Citation may also be issued if a proposed Complaint resolution is rejected by a Registrant or if the terms to the proposed Complaint resolution cannot be agreed upon by the Registrant and the Investigation Committee.

At the Discipline Hearing, the AIBC’s lawyer will present evidence to prove the allegations in the Citation. The Respondent is also entitled to have a lawyer at any time during the professional conduct process.

The Citation will be published on the AIBC website: aibc.ca/protecting-the-public/professional-conduct/disciplinary-inquiry/.

Further information about Citations is found in AIBC Bylaws 7.21 – 7.30.