Medical Witnesses at Inquests Act 1838 No 26a (NSW)

No. XXII.

An Act to define the qualifications of Medical
Witnesses at Coroners' Inquests and Inquiries

held before Jus t ices of the Peace in the Colony

of New South Wales. [12th October, 1888.] '

WH E R E A S an Act was passed in the present Session of the Legislative Council intituled " An Act to provide for the

" attendance of Iledical Witnesses at Coroners' Inquests and
" Inquiries held before Justices of the Peace'1'' wherein it was amongst
other things enacted That whenever upon the summoning or holding of any Coroner's Inquest or the holding of any Inquiry before a Justice of the Peace it should appear to the Coroner that the deceased person was not at or immediately before his or her death attended by any legally qualified Medical Practitioner then it should be lawful for such Coroner or Justice or Justices as the case may be to issue a summons for the attendance as a witness at such Inquest of such legally qualified Medical Practitioner in actual practice as should reside nearest to the place where such Inquest was holden and whereas it lias thereby become necessary to declare who shall for the purposes of that Act be deemed a " legally qualified Medical Practitioner" Be it therefore enacted by His Excellency the Governor of New South Wales with the advice of the Legislative Council thereof That no person from and after the first day of January next shall for the purposes of the said recited Act be deemed a legally qualified Medical Practitioner unless such person shall have proved to the satisfaction of the President and any other Member of a Medical Board to be hereafter appointed that he is a Doctor or Bachelor of Medicine of some PJniversity or a Physician or Surgeon licensed or admitted as such by some College of Physicians or Surgeons in Great Britain or Ireland or a Member of the Company of Apothecaries of London or who is or has been a Medical Officer duly appointed and confirmed of Her Majesty's sea or land service.

2. And be it further enacted That it shall and may be lawful for the Governor or Acting Governor for the time being to appoint a Committee consisting of not less than three Members being of the Medical Profession one of whom shall be nominated President together with a Secretary under the style and description of " The New South Wales Medical Board" and it shall be lawful for the said Governor or Acting Governor for the time being to remove the said Members or any of them and upon the removal death or resignation of the said Members or any of them to appoint such other person or persons as he shall think fit and any person desirous of being declared a legally qualified Medical Practitioner as aforesaid shall submit his degree diploma or other certificate or proof of his being so duly qualified for the examination and approval of the said Medical Board and shall obtain from the said Medical Board a certificate of his being so qualified.

3. And be it further enacted That the said Medical Board shall on or before the first day of January next cause the names of all " Legally qualified Medical Practitioners" as aforesaid to be registered in a book to be kept by the said Board for that purpose and shall also cause all the names so registered to be published in the Government Gazette on or about the said first day of January and the same to be repeated annually for the information of Coroners Magistrates and the Public.

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