Public hearings for real estate development approval are commonly quasi-judicial. It would be unsurprising if that was the context because it is a context in which other participants would have concerns over unqualified persons holding themselves out as experts. It is also a context in which it is easy to collect evidence.
It is worth distinguishing that engineers are regulated because their opinions carry legal weight. They carry legal weight because the truth is difficult to determine and even experts (i.e engineers) can’t readily determine it absolutely (hence safety factors).
The safety valve for engineering opinion’s weight is engineers are personally liable for errors in judgment (no corporate protection).
It is worth distinguishing that engineers are regulated because their opinions carry legal weight. They carry legal weight because the truth is difficult to determine and even experts (i.e engineers) can’t readily determine it absolutely (hence safety factors).
The safety valve for engineering opinion’s weight is engineers are personally liable for errors in judgment (no corporate protection).