Policy Statement
Published: October 2021
Introduction
Under Ont. Reg. 1093 ss 3. (1) (e), licensure applicants must provide a declaration affirming that there has been no finding of guilt of, and that there is no charge pending an allegation of, an offence relevant to the applicant’s suitability to practise veterinary medicine and ss 3. (4) it is a requirement for the issuing of a licence that the applicant’s previous conduct affords reasonable grounds for the belief that the applicant will practise veterinary medicine in a safe and professional manner. To satisfy these requirements, licensure applicants are to provide honest and complete declarations and to submit a criminal record check prior to a licence being issued. A criminal record check is one element that the College uses to determine an applicant’s suitability to practise. This policy defines when a criminal record check is required and the type of criminal record check that applicants are required to submit.
Scope
This policy applies to applicants for licensure to practise veterinary medicine in Ontario – including those who apply under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA). This policy does not apply to a current licensee of the College who is applying to move to a different category of licensure.
Policy
The College will accept any one of the following, completed within six months prior to the issuance of a licence:
An Enhanced Police Information Check (E-PIC) obtained online through a CVO-approved third party service provider;
A Canadian criminal record check obtained at the applicant’s local police station;
An Ontario criminal record and judicial matters check obtained at the applicant’s local police station
A Canadian Vulnerable Sector Check (VS) obtained at the applicant’s local police station.
The College will not accept criminal record checks from other jurisdictions.
Process
The applicant must submit an approved criminal record check. Applicants submitting a paper document obtained through a local police station may only send the original to the College via mail or in person providing it is authenticated with a police services stamp. The original paper documents will not be returned.
Any applicants with positive findings aristing from a criminal record check will be referred to the Registration Committee to be considered based on the Determining Applicant Suitability to Practise Policy Statement.
Authority
Veterinarians Act R.S.O. 1990, s. 14
R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 1093: General s. 3
Resources
The following can be found at the College’s website at cvo.org:
Determining Applicant Suitability to Practise Policy Statement
College publications contain practice parameters and standards which should be considered by all Ontario veterinarians in the care of their patients and in the practice of the profession. College publications are developed in consultation with the profession and describe current professional expectations. It is important to note that these College publications may be used by the College or other bodies in determining whether appropriate standards of practice and professional responsibilities have been maintained. The College encourages you to refer to the website (www.cvo.org) to ensure you are referring to the most recent version of any document.