Singapore legislation
Clause 54
Clause 54
Powers and procedures of Disciplinary Committee
(1)
If a disciplinary case against a registered veterinarian is referred to a Disciplinary Committee for a formal inquiry —
subject to subsection (2), the Disciplinary Committee must fix the formal inquiry on a date no earlier than 21 days after the date of service of the notice of the referral on the registered veterinarian under section 46(4), 51(5) or (9) or 52(8) or (12); and
the Registrar must, as soon as practicable, give written notice to the registered veterinarian of the date of the formal inquiry.
(2)
The Disciplinary Committee may, with the agreement of the registered veterinarian, fix the formal inquiry on a date earlier than 21 days after the date of service of the notice mentioned in subsection (1)(a).
(3)
The registered veterinarian may, by application to the Disciplinary Committee, request for the postponement of the formal inquiry, and the Disciplinary Committee may postpone the formal inquiry to a date that it determines, or refuse the application.
(4)
For the purposes of the formal inquiry, the Disciplinary Committee may require any person —
to attend at a specified time and place and give evidence before the Disciplinary Committee; and
to produce all books, documents and papers in the custody, or under the control, of the person which may be related to or be connected with the subject matter of the formal inquiry.
(5)
Any person who, without lawful excuse —
refuses or fails to comply with any requirement of the Disciplinary Committee under subsection (4); or
refuses to answer any question put to the person by a member of the Disciplinary Committee,shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $50 for every day or part of a day during which the offence continues after conviction.
(6)
Any person who —
knowingly gives a false answer to any question put to the person by a member of the Disciplinary Committee; or
knowingly gives any document, information or material to the Disciplinary Committee that is false or misleading, or that omits any matter or thing without which the document, information or material is misleading,shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $50 for every day or part of a day during which the offence continues after conviction.
(7)
The Disciplinary Committee —
is not bound to act in any formal manner and is not bound by the provisions of the Evidence Act 1893 or by any other written law relating to evidence, but may inform itself on any matter in any manner that it thinks fit;
may administer an oath or affirmation to any person giving evidence before it; and
may, subject to any regulations made under section 87, regulate its own procedure for a formal inquiry.
(8)
Any party to the formal inquiry before the Disciplinary Committee may take out a subpoena to testify or to produce any document, and the subpoena must be served and may be enforced as if it were an order to attend court or an order to produce any document issued in connection with a civil action in the General Division of the High Court.
(9)
Any person giving evidence in the formal inquiry before the Disciplinary Committee is legally bound to tell the truth.
(10)
Any person giving evidence in the formal inquiry before the Disciplinary Committee has the same privileges and immunities in relation to the formal inquiry as if it were a proceeding in a court of law.
(11)
For the purposes of the formal inquiry into the disciplinary case, the Disciplinary Committee may direct an investigator to investigate the disciplinary case.
(12)
The Disciplinary Committee must complete its formal inquiry into the disciplinary case within 6 months after the date on which the disciplinary case is referred to it, unless the Council, on application of the Disciplinary Committee, allows otherwise.
(13)
Any member of the Council who is a member of the Disciplinary Committee must not participate in or influence the decision of the Council under subsection (12).