Singapore legislation
Clause 10
Clause 10
Amendment of section 23
Section 23 of the principal Act is hereby amended by inserting immediately after subsection (2) thereof the following new subsections: —“(3) Subject to this section, if any registered medical practitioner is guilty of infamous conduct in any professional respect the Medical Council may, instead of invoking the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, relating to the removal of a person’s name from the register, impose all or any of the following penalties on the offending person, namely, the Medical Council may —
censure him;
require him to give such undertaking as the Medical Council thinks fit to abstain in future from the conduct complained of; and
suspend his registration either conditionally or absolutely for a period of not less than three months and not more than twelve months.(4) The suspension of the registration of any person whose registration has been suspended may at any time and for such reason as the Medical Council thinks fit, by order of the Medical Council be annulled and the effect of any such annulment shall be as the Medical Council determines.(5) While any order of suspension of registration under this section remains in force the person concerned shall not be regarded as being registered but forthwith on the expiry or annulment of such order, his rights and privileges as a registered medical practitioner shall be revived as from the date of such expiry or annulment.(6) Before suspending the registration of any person or taking any proceeding under subsection (3) of this section against any person the Medical Council shall —
give to that person, by post by registered letter, addressed to the last known place of residence or business of that person at least fourteen days’ notice in writing of the complaint against him and of the day, time and place fixed for hearing the complaint; and
hold full inquiry into the matter of the complaint and afford the said person an opportunity of giving an explanation personally or in writing.(7) The Medical Council may in any proceeding where any person is found guilty of infamous conduct in any professional respect make such order as to payment of costs of the proceedings as to it seems fit.(8) A person who has been suspended from registration pursuant to the provisions of this section shall have the right of appeal to the High Court against the order of suspension and on any such appeal the Court may make such order as it thinks proper having regard to the merits of the case and the public welfare.(9) Any such appeal shall be in the nature of a rehearing and shall be made in accordance with the Rules of Court.(10) An order of suspension shall not take effect until the expiration of a period of twenty-one days after notification by the Medical Council to the registered medical practitioner of the making of such order.(11) If within such period the registered medical practitioner gives due notice of appeal to the High Court such order shall not take effect unless the order is confirmed by the Court or the appeal is for any reason dismissed by that Court.(12) Unless the High Court otherwise orders, the period of suspension named in the order appealed from shall commence on the day when that order commences to have effect.”.