Criminal Convictions

The profile contains information on convictions within the past 10 years under three Canadian statutes, the Criminal Code, the Food and Drugs Act or the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, reasonably relevant to the physician’s competence or to the safe practice of medicine.  “Conviction” includes a guilty plea and a guilty verdict or judgment.  Where a physician initiates an appeal of a conviction, the profile must include that information.

The profile system does not include convictions where an absolute discharge was granted, where a conditional discharge was granted and the conditions have been met, or where a pardon has been granted.

The profile identifies the nature of the conviction, the court that entered the conviction and the date of the conviction.  Questions or requests for further information should be directed to the physician or to the court that entered the conviction. 

Criminal convictions are limited to Canadian convictions due to the complexity of assessing convictions from countries with political regimes and/or judicial systems different from Canadian systems.

Since postings are limited to Canadian convictions under the specified legislation and are limited to convictions reasonably relevant to competence or to the safe practice of medicine, it is possible that a physician has a criminal record not revealed by this profile system.