Section 27
Revocation of licence
(1)
Subject to subsection (3), the Board may by order revoke any licence granted to a corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership if in the opinion of the Board —
the corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership has failed to comply with any of the conditions imposed by the Board under section 18;
in relation to a corporation, the memorandum or articles of association of the corporation have been so altered that they no longer include the restrictions, limitations or prohibitions of the kind specified in section 17(1) or (2), whichever is applicable;
in relation to a partnership, a person who is neither —
a registered surveyor who has in force a practising certificate; nor(ii)an allied professional who has in force a practising certificate,has a beneficial interest in the capital assets and profits of the partnership;
in relation to a limited liability partnership, the limited liability partnership no longer satisfies the requirements of section 17(4);
the licence had been obtained by fraud or misrepresentation;
the corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership has stopped supplying survey services in Singapore;
the corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership has contravened section 19, 20 or 21, or has been convicted of an offence under this Act;
the corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership has contravened any provision of the prescribed code of professional conduct and ethics;
the conduct of any director, manager or employee of the corporation, or any partner, manager or employee of the partnership or limited liability partnership, provides grounds for believing that the corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership (as the case may be) will not engage in survey work in Singapore in accordance with the written law and with honesty and integrity;
the corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership has refused or failed to comply with an order of the Board made under subsection (2); or
the corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership refuses or fails to pay the cost of any correction to its cadastral survey within 14 days of the receipt of a statement issued to it under section 16(4) of the Boundaries and Survey Maps Act 1998.
(2)
The Board may, in any case in which it considers that no cause of sufficient gravity for revoking a licence exists —
by order impose on the corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership concerned a penalty not exceeding $20,000 and every such penalty is recoverable as a debt due to the Board; or
order the corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership to pay the cost of any correction to its cadastral survey incurred by the Chief Surveyor.
(3)
The Board must not exercise its powers under subsection (1) or (2) unless —
an opportunity of being heard by a representative in writing or by counsel has been given to the corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership against which the Board intends to exercise its powers; and
at least 3 members of the Board are present at the hearing.
(4)
Where the Board has revoked a licence under this section, it must immediately inform the corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership concerned.
(5)
Any order of revocation made by the Board does not take effect until the expiry of 30 days after the Board has informed the corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership concerned and if within that period the corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership gives due notice of appeal to the General Division of the High Court, the order does not take effect unless the order is confirmed by the General Division of the High Court or the appeal is for any reason dismissed by the General Division of the High Court.
(6)
Where an order of revocation becomes effective —
the Registrar must cause notice of the revocation to be published in the Gazette and must cancel the entry in the register of licensees relating to the corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership concerned; and
the corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership concerned must, as from the date of the notice, stop supplying survey services in Singapore except as may be approved by the Board for the purpose of winding up its business.
(7)
Subsection (6)(b) does not prejudice the enforcement by any person of any right or claim against the corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership or by the corporation, partnership or limited liability partnership of any right or claim against any person.