Homoeopathic doctors’ body files FR case against bogus registrations
A fundamental rights petition was filed in the Supreme Court seeking the cancellation of registrations of 54 persons who were registered fraudulently as Homoeopathy Practitioners, violating the Homoeopathy Act.
Janadahara Homoeopathic Doctors’ Association cited Salinda Dissananyake, Minister of Indigenous Medicine, the Indigenous Medicine Secretary, the Homoeoepathic Council (HC) Secretary Ahinsaka Perera Registrar Dr. Newton Pieris and 54 others including the Attorney General, as respondents,
The petitioners state the Homoeopathic Practitioners were granted provisional registration after successfully passing a written examination conducted by the Homoeopathic Council within a period of five years and later their names were transferred to the general register.
In terms of Section 3(2) of the Homoeopathic Act the minister in charge was vested with the power to appoint the first Homoeopathic Council for a period of ten years.
They said that the members of the HC who were elected in January 2006 before their term expired, were removed by the Minister by order of a gazette notice and replaced by the respondents unlawfully.
They further stated that according to Section 27(5) of the Homoeopathic Act any person who has been granted provisional registration as a Homoeopathic Practitioner under Section 27(3) passes a written examination conducted by the HC for the purpose, shall be granted registration as a Homoeopathic Practitioner and his name shall be transferred from the provisional register to the general register. The petitioners claim that the HC had neglected to conduct any written examination and as such deprived the practitioners to qualify to be registered in the general register
They said that in spite of an order by the Court to conduct the written examination within six months before May 2014 it was not carried out. They seek the Court to cancel the registration of the respondents who were fraudulently registered until final determination of the application