Dentists Registration Ordinance 1963

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

AMENDMENTS TO A.C.T. DENTISTS REGISTRATION ORDINANCE 1931-1959

No. 4 of 1963

	Under the Dentists Registration Ordinance 1931-1959, the only disciplinary action which can be taken by the A.C.T. Dental Board against a registered dentist who is deemed by the Board to be guilty of unprofessional conduct is to strike his name from the Register.

	The amending Ordinance is designed:

	(a)	to empower the Dental Board to reprimand an offender, or to suspend his registration for a period not exceeding twelve months, as alternatives to the more drastic measure of de-registration;

	(b)	to clarify the provisions relating to unlawful advertising and canvassing by dentists;

	(c)	to require the Dental Board to conduct an enquiry, at which the dentist may be represented by council or attorney, before taking action to reprimand him or to suspend or cancel his registration;

	(d)	to require the Dental Board to record the finding on which a decision to reprimand a dentist or to suspend or cancel the registration of a dentist was based, and to furnish the dentist with a copy of it if he so requests;

	(e)	to extend the right of appeal to the Supreme Court against a decision of the Dental Board to cover a dentist who has been reprimanded or whose registration has been suspended; and

	(f)	to empower the Chairman of the Dental Board to have published in the Commonwealth Gazette notice of a decision of the Board, or of a Court on appeal against a decision of the Board, to reprimand a dentist or to suspend or cancel his registration.

	The amendments contained in sections 2-10 inclusive and in sections 14, 15 and 17 of the amending Ordinance are designed simply to clarify or to bring up-to-date other provisions in the existing Ordinance which are unrelated to the principal amendments.  They are of no substantial significance, with the exception of the provisions contained in section 6 of the amending Ordinance, whereby sections 22 and 23 of the existing Ordinance, dealing with the conditions governing applicants for registration, have been re-cast to eliminate certain anomalies in relation to applicants who were trained overseas and who are already registered in a State.  All reference to registration in a State has been deleted so that the conditions for registration as a dentist in the A.C.T. will be the same for all applicants with overseas qualifications.