A regulator is run by a governing Council (sometimes called a Board), made up of elected members plus public (lay) appointees named by government. Lay members are deliberately included so the body is not purely the profession judging itself. They reinforce the public-interest mandate. Council sets policy, approves bylaws, and oversees the organization.
Day-to-day administration is led by a Registrar (often also the chief executive officer), who maintains the official register of licensees, processes applications, and is frequently the gatekeeper for the complaints intake.
Much of the regulatory work is delegated to committees:
- a Board of Examiners / Registration Committee assesses academic and experience qualifications,
- an Investigation Committee reviews and investigates complaints,
- a Discipline Committee conducts formal hearings,
- a practice-review or experience committee, and others.
🧠 Memory hook: Registration lets you in, Investigation looks into you, Discipline decides what happens to you.
Separating these functions matters for fairness: the body that investigates is kept distinct from the body that adjudicates, so the person investigated faces an impartial hearing panel.