Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Act 2020

Fitness to Practise Committee may order that certain information not be published

117. The Act of 2007 is amended by the insertion of the following section after section 65:

“65A. (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), where the Fitness to Practise Committee is satisfied that there is reasonable cause to believe that all or part of the information (in this section referred to as the ‘relevant information’) relating to all or part of a hearing (in this section referred to as the ‘relevant hearing’) before the committee being held in public should not be disclosed, it may order that the relevant information shall not be disclosed.

(2) A person may disclose all or part of any relevant information if the disclosure is in such form as to prevent particulars relating to the identity of a party to the proceedings at the relevant hearing being ascertained from it.

(3) Nothing in this section shall be construed as prohibiting a disclosure of relevant information pursuant to a court order.

(4) A person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a class A fine or a term of imprisonment not exceeding 6 months or both.”.