Course of an investigation

Request

The inquiry process begins when an investigation request is received from a third party (consumer, consumer protection organization, other representative, insurance companie, firm, Autorité des marchés financiers) or on the initiative of the syndic or the co-syndic.

Dissatisfaction with the services received, lack of explanations (or certain pieces of information missing), breach of one of the two codes of ethics or any related regulation are reasonable grounds for submitting an investigation request to the syndic or the co-syndic.

Request for investigation Form

Investigation

The investigation request involves the gathering of information, which the syndic or the co-syndic will use to study the case. At this stage, the representative named in the inquiry is deemed innocent and does not stand accused. The thread running throughout the process is the search for the truth.

On receipt of the investigation request, the team from the Business Conduct and Ethics Department contacts all the parties involved (the representative, the complainant, the consumers, the financial institutions that marketed the financial product and the firms), gathers all the pertinent documents, meets the parties and gets their version of the facts. The entire process is kept confidential.

Decision of syndic

When the inquiry is over, the syndic or the co-syndic analyze the case and decide whether or not to bring it before the Disciplinary Committee. If no charges are laid against the representative, administrative measures may be imposed. These measures include warnings (in writing), notices, meetings to discuss the aspect of the business practice that is improper or a covenant to comply with the rules of ethics.