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17035.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

15 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

No. 147.

(GENERAL.)

LAW OFFICERS to COLONIAL OFFICE.

[Right of Medical Practitioners not registered in the United Kingdom, but holding other than British diplomas, to practise in the Gold Coast Colony.]

SIR,

Royal Courts of Justice, April 30, 1902.

WE were honoured with your commands, signified in Mr. R. L. Antrobus's letter of the 12th instant, stating that he was directed by you to request the favour of our report tipon a proposal which had been made by the Governor of the Gold Coast to employ as Government Medical Officers in that Colony duly qualified medical practitioners of the Dominion of Canada, and also upon the further question which had arisen as to the right of medical practitioners not registered in the United Kingdom, but holding other than British diplomas, to practise in the Gold Coast Colony.

That it had hitherto been the practice of the Secretary of State to refuse the application of a candidate for a medical appointment in one Colony who held only a diplona conferred in some other Colony to which Part II. of the Medical Act, 1886, had not been applied by Order in Council, on the ground that such a candidate could not be registered in the United Kingdom as a “ Colonial practitioner" under that Act.

That, so far as you were aware, Part II. of the Medical Act, 1886, had been applied only to New Zealand, Ceylon, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and India, and that onsequently, if the above-mentioned practice were adhered to, you would be unable to ppoint medical practitioners holding Canadian diplomas to be Government Medical Officers in the Gold Coast, as proposed by the Governor.

That you considered it very doubtful whether the Provincial Governments of the Dominion would make application to have Part II. of the Act applied to them in order to render their medical men eligible for Government appointments in Crown Colonies, anti

hat you were not inclined to invite any such action on their part.

That, at the same time, you were of opinion that it was desirable to reconsider the practice of refusing candidates for medical employment who, though not registered in the nited Kingdom, were in all other respects well qualified and competent to perform the luties of Government Medical Officers in Crown Colonies, and that it was therefore necessary to consider generally what (if any) were the legal obstacles under the Medical Acts or otherwise which precluded such appointments, and whether, if any such obstacles sisted, they might be reinedied by legislation in the Colony in which such appointments vere proposed to be made.

That with regard to the special case of the Gold Coast, under section 14 of the Supreme Court Ordinance, 1876, the Medical Acts in force in England on the 24th July, 1874, were brought into force within the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the Gold Coast, and that sections 36 and 37 of the Medical Act, 1858, would appear effectually to prevent unregistered medical practitioners from acting as Government Medical Officers in That Colony,

That in connection with the subject Mr. Antrobus was further to invite our attention Dr. Murray the correspondence noted in the margin with reference to the right of unregistered Colonial Office. 20th practitioners holding other than British diplomas to practise privately in the Colony. October.

That with regard to the opinion of the Solicitor-General of the Colony, Mr. Antrobus 1901 was to say that you inclined to the view that the definition of a "duly qualified medical Colonial practitioner in the Druggists' Ordinance, 1892, was only for the purposes of that Office to

rdinance, and could not be taken to do away by implication with the various disabilities tiovernor. umposed by the Medical Act, 1858, on unregistered medical practitioners.

Gold Coast, No. 629,

That Mr. Antrobus was therefore to request us to be good enough to take the papers November into our consideration and to report :-

Sth, 1901.

(1) Whether the Secretary of State was prevented by the Medical Acts, or by any Governor, ther and what Acts or considerations, from appointing medical practitioners not registered Gold Coast, in the United Kingdom but otherwise well qualified, to his satisfaction, to perform the to Colonial requisite duties as Government Medical Officers

Office. No.

(a) in the Gold Coast,

(b) in the Crown Colonies generally ?

599, 2stb December, 1901.

11897-25-6/1902 Wt 275 D & S 5

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