Most geoscience professionals who are members of a geoscience professional organisation or learned society are subject to a Complaints and Discipline process should that member act unethically, irresponsibly, or without the appropriate knowledge. The results of this process are dependent on the authority that the organisation holds.
Geoscientists who are members of geoscience professional organisations or learned societies are usually subject to a Complaints process which, if warranted, is followed by a Discipline process. In most cases, the geoscientist’s conduct is reviewed by a panel of their peers, peers who are also subject to a Code of Ethics/Code of Conduct. A complaint can usually be made to the geoscience organisation by another professional member, a member of the public, or, in some cases, the geoscience organisation itself. Once the complaint has been made, it is usually reviewed by an individual member of the geoscience body or panel of the organisation’s members. The result of the review generally determines whether the complaint proceeds to the discipline process.
Most legislated geoscience organisations have the ability to discipline a member, where and when appropriate, up to and including the right to revoke membership, to remove the right to title and to remove the right to practise geoscience in the jurisdiction concerned. Other geoscience bodies and learned societies generally also have the right to discipline members, where and when appropriate, up to and including the right to revoke the membership and to remove the right to title, but not the ability to remove the right to practise geoscience in the jurisdiction concerned. The consequences noted are among the most stringent available to the geoscience bodies. Other various discipline measures are available such as reprimand, mediation, and fines.