Chiropractors Act 1994
Chiropractors Act 1994
1994 CHAPTER 17
An Act to establish a body to be known as the General Chiropractic Council; to provide for the regulation of the chiropractic profession, including making provision as to the registration of chiropractors and as to their professional education and conduct; to make provision in connection with the development and promotion of the profession; to amend, and make provision in connection with, the Osteopaths Act 1993; and for connected purposes.
[5th July 1994]
Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
The General Council and its committees
1 The General Chiropractic Council and its committees.
(1) There shall be a body corporate to be known as the General Chiropractic Council (referred to in this Act as ‘the General Council’).
(2) It shall be the duty of the General Council to develop, promote and regulate the profession of chiropractic.
(3) The General Council shall have such other functions as are conferred on it by this Act.
(4) Part I of Schedule 1 shall have effect with respect to the constitution of the General Council.
(5) There shall be four committees of the General Council, to be known as—
(a) the Education Committee;
(b) the Investigating Committee;
(c) the Professional Conduct Committee; and
(d) the Health Committee.
(6) The four committees are referred to in this Act as ‘the statutory committees’.
(7) Each of the statutory committees shall have the functions conferred on it by or under this Act.
(8) The General Council may establish such other committees as it considers appropriate in connection with the discharge of its functions.
(9) Part II of Schedule 1 shall have effect with respect to the statutory committees.
(10) At the request of the General Council, Her Majesty may by Order in Council make such provision with respect to the matters dealt with by Schedule 1 as Her Majesty considers appropriate in consultation with the General Council.
(11) Any such Order in Council shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
(12) Any provision under subsection (10) may be made either in substitution for, or as an addition to, that made by any provision of Schedule 1.
Registration of chiropractors
2 The Registrar of Chiropractors.
(1) The General Council shall appoint a person to be the registrar for the purposes of this Act.
(2) The person appointed shall be known as the Registrar of Chiropractors (referred to in this Act as ‘the Registrar’) and shall hold office for such period and on such terms as the General Council may determine.
(3) It shall be the duty of the Registrar to establish and maintain a register of chiropractors in accordance with the provisions of this Act.
(4) The Registrar shall have such other functions as the General Council may direct.
(5) Where the terms on which the Registrar holds office include provision for the payment to him of any allowances or expenses, the rate at which those allowances or expenses are paid shall be determined by the General Council.
(6) The terms on which the Registrar holds office may, in addition to providing for his remuneration, include provision for the payment of such pensions, allowances or gratuities to or in respect of him, or such contributions or payments towards provision for such pensions, allowances or gratuities, as may be determined by the General Council.
3 Full registration.
(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, any person who satisfies the conditions mentioned in subsection (2) shall be entitled to be registered as a fully registered chiropractor.
(2) The conditions are that the application is made in the prescribed form and manner and that the applicant—
(a) has paid the prescribed fee;
(b) satisfies the Registrar that he is of good character;
(c) satisfies the Registrar that he is in good health, both physically and mentally; and
(d) has a recognised qualification.
(3) Where an application for registration is made during the transitional period by a person who was in practice as a chiropractor at any time before the opening of the register, he shall be treated as having a recognised qualification if he satisfies the Registrar that for a period of at least five years (which need not be continuous) he has spent a substantial part of his working time in the lawful, safe and competent practice of chiropractic.
(4) For the purposes of subsection (3), no account shall be taken of any work done by the applicant before the beginning of the period of seven years ending with the opening of the register.
(5) For the purposes of subsection (3), the question whether the applicant has spent any part of his working time in the lawful, safe and competent practice of chiropractic shall be determined in accordance with such rules (if any) as may be made by the General Council.
(6) The General Council may by rules provide for treating a person who—
(a) has obtained a qualification in chiropractic outside the United Kingdom,
(b) does not hold a recognised qualification, but
(c) satisfies the Registrar that he has reached the required standard of proficiency,
as holding a recognised qualification for the purposes of this Act.
(7) In this section ‘transitional period’ means the period of two years beginning with the opening of the register.
4 Conditional registration.
(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, any person who satisfies the conditions mentioned in subsection (2) shall be entitled to be registered as a conditionally registered chiropractor.
(2) The conditions are that the application is made in the prescribed form and manner during the transitional period and that the applicant—
(a) has paid the prescribed fee;
(b) satisfies the Registrar that he is of good character;
(c) satisfies the Registrar that he is in good health, both physically and mentally;
(d) satisfies the Registrar that for a period of at least four years (which need not be continuous) he has spent a substantial part of his working time in the lawful, safe and competent practice of chiropractic;
(e) if required to do so by the Registrar in accordance with rules made by the General Council, passes—
(i) the prescribed test of competence; or
(ii) such part of that test as the Registrar may specify; and
(f) gives the required undertaking.
(3) In the application of subsection (2)(d), in relation to any person, no account shall be taken of any work done by him before the beginning of the period of six years ending with the opening of the register.
(4) The General Council may by rules provide for the conversion, in prescribed circumstances and subject to the chiropractor concerned complying with such conditions (if any) as may be prescribed, of conditional registration into full registration.
(5) Unless it is converted into full registration in accordance with the rules, any conditional registration shall cease to have effect—
(a) at the end of the period of five years beginning with the opening of the register; or
(b) where a shorter period has been specified by the Registrar in accordance with subsection (10) in relation to the chiropractor in question, at the end of that shorter period.
(6) In dealing with an application for registration made during the transitional period by a person who—
(a) cannot meet the requirement of subsection (2)(d), but
(b) has a qualification in chiropractic which, while not being a recognised qualification, has not been refused recognition by the General Council,
the Registrar shall refer the matter to the Education Committee.
(7) Where a reference is made to the Education Committee under subsection (6), it shall be the duty of the Committee to advise the General Council.
(8) If, after considering the advice of the Education Committee, the General Council is satisfied that it is appropriate to do so, it shall direct the Registrar to disregard subsection (2)(d) in relation to the application in question.
(9) For the purposes of subsection (2)(d), the question whether the applicant has spent any part of his working time in the lawful, safe and competent practice of chiropractic shall be determined in accordance with such rules (if any) as may be made by the General Council.
(10) In this section—
‘required undertaking’ means an undertaking that the person giving it will, before the end of the period of five years beginning with the opening of the...
To continue reading
Request your trial