LAWS OF FIJI

CHAPTER 257

VETERINARY SURGEONS

Act No. 25 of 1973. Ordinance No. 20 of 1956.

AN ACT TO MAKE PROVISION FOR THE REGISTRATION OF VETERINARY SURGEONS

[17th December, 1956.]

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Veterinary Surgeons Act.

Interpretation

2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires -

"recognized veterinary diploma" has the same meaning as in section 13 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1881 of the United Kingdom; 

"register" means the Veterinary Surgeons Register required to be kept under this Act.

"Registrar" means the Assistant Director Agriculture (Animal Health and Production) and includes any person lawfully appointed to act for him;

"Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons" means the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons referred to in the Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1881 of the United Kingdom;

"veterinary surgery" means the art and science of veterinary surgery and medicine.

Unregistered persons not to have title of Veterinary Surgeon

3. No person shall be entitled to take or use the name or title of Veterinary Surgeon (either alone or in combination with any other word or words), or any name, title, addition or description, implying that he is registered under this Act or that he is a person specially qualified to practise veterinary surgery, unless he is registered under the provisions of this Act.

Offences by unregistered persons

4. Any person, not being registered under the provisions of this Act, who takes or uses any such name, title, addition or description as aforesaid whether expressed in words, or by letters, or partly in words and partly in letters, shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding two hundred dollars.

Keeping of register and publication

5.−(1) The Registrar shall keep a register, in the form contained in the First Schedule, to be styled the Veterinary Surgeons Register, of all persons registered as Veterinary Surgeons under this Act.

(2) The Registrar, in the month of January in each year, shall publish in the Gazette a copy of the register.

Persons entitled to registration

6. Subject to the other provisions of this Act, any person is entitled to be registered in the register who is registered or entitled to be registered in the Register of Veterinary Surgeons kept by the Registrar of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons or who is, subject to such further qualifications or requirements as are set out in that Schedule, the holder of a degree or qualification obtained at one of the Veterinary Schools or Colleges listed or referred to in the Second Schedule. (Amended by 25 of 1973, s. 2.)

Registration of persons

7. Where any person desires to be registered under the provisions of this Act, he shall make application to the Registrar and shall submit such evidence as shall satisfy the Registrar that he is entitled to be so registered.

Evidence of registration

8. A copy of the register for the time being published in the Gazette in accordance with the provisions of subsection (2) of section 5, shall be evidence in all cases (until the contrary be made to appear) that the persons therein specified are registered under the provisions of this Act and the absence of the name of any person from such copy shall be evidence (until the contrary be made to appear) that such person is not registered under the provisions of this Act:

Provided that in the case of a person whose name does not appear in such copy, a certified copy under the hand of the Registrar of the entry of the name of such person in the register, shall be evidence that such person is registered under this Act.

Erasing name from register

9. The Registrar may erase from the register the name of any person -

(a) who is convicted of a felony or misdemeanour; or

(b) who by reason of conduct disgraceful to him in a professional respect or by reason of a conviction for a criminal offence has been disentitled to practise veterinary surgery in England or in any country in which he was granted a recognized veterinary diploma.

Correction of register

10.−(1) The Registrar shall from time to time insert in the register any alteration which may come to his knowledge in the name or address of any person registered.

(2) The Registrar shall erase from the register the name of every deceased person.

(3) The Registrar may erase from the register the name of a person who has ceased to practise in Fiji or who has been continually absent from Fiji for the space of three years:

Provided that any person whose name has been so erased, shall, on resuming practice or returning to Fiji, be entitled to have his name restored to the register.

(4) In the execution of his duties, the Registrar shall act on such evidence as in each case appears sufficient.

Name may be restored

11. If the Registrar thinks fit, he may in any case restore to the register any name erased therefrom.

Appeal

12. Any person aggrieved -

(a) by a refusal of the Registrar to register him in the register;

(b) by a refusal of the Registrar to restore his name to the register;

(c) by the erasure of his name from the register,

may appeal to the Minister whose decision shall be final.

Penalty for obtaining registration by false representations

13. Every person who wilfully procures or attempts to procure himself to be registered under this Act, by making or producing or causing to be made or produced, any false or fraudulent representation or declaration, either verbally or in writing, shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding two hundred dollars or to imprisonment for twelve months.

Amendment of Second Schedule

14. The Minister may at any time by notice published in the Gazette add to or amend the Second Schedule. (Inserted by 25 of 1973, s. 4.)

_____________

FIRST SCHEDULE

(Section 5)

FORM OF VETERINARY SURGEONS REGISTER

Name	Residence	Qualifications	Date of
Registration	

SECOND SCHEDULE

(Section 6)
(Inserted by 25 of 1973, s. 6.)

LIST OF SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES, THE DEGREES OR QUALIFICATIONS OF WHICH ENTITLE A PERSON TO BE REGISTERED IN FIJI

Massey (New Zealand)
Queensland (Australia) 
Sydney (Australia) 
Melbourne (Australia) 
Guelph (Canada) 
Utrecht (Netherlands) 
Oslo (Norway)
Royal Veterinary College (Sweden)
Royal Veterinary Agricultural College (Denmark)

A recognised School or College in any of the following States of the United States of America provided that the person also holds a licence to practise as a Veterinary Surgeon in a State of the United States of America:-

Alabama
California
Colorado
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
New York
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Texas
Washington

Controlled by Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries