Toronto doctor's sex abuse penalty on the way to the Court of Appeal

Image: Dr. Javad Peirovy is asking the Ontario Court of Appeal to quash a Divisional Court ruling that found his six-month suspension was “clearly unfit.”

Consistent Decisions Out of Reach for Ontario Regulatory Colleges

Toronto doctor Dr. Javad Peirovy was found guilty of sexually abusing his patients. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario claims to have a zero tolerance for sexual abuse. Rather than strip Dr. Peirovy of his license to practice medicine, the CPSO suspended his license for 6 months. Is this fair? Does the CPSO routinely impose similar penalties for similar conduct? Does that even matter?

This case is heading to the Court of Appeal for Ontario, so stay tuned for the 'answers' to these and many other important questions that affect all health care practitioners and all residents of Ontario.

In our law practice in Toronto, we are routinely involved in similar cases before a variety of regulatory Colleges. While Bill 87, which came into effect in May 2017 provides some clarity, what is even clearer is that each College has its own ideas with respect to what constitutes sexual abuse, and therefore what the appropriate penalty should be.

For the sake of patient safety (and in the name of fairness to health care practitioners), all of Ontario's Colleges ought to work together to develop a consistent framework, across all health professions, with the objective of protecting the public.

See: Full Article, by Jacques Gallant, The Toronto Star

Image: RICK MADONIK / TORONTO STAR)