Opticians Act 1989

4 The Investigating Committee

(1) There shall continue to be a committee of the Council known as the Investigating Committee, for the preliminary investigation of cases in which it is alleged that an individual or body corporate is liable to have made against him or it a disciplinary order or a direction under section 19 below.

(2) Any such case is hereafter in this Act referred to as a “disciplinary case”.

(3) It shall be the function of the Investigating Committee to decide whether a disciplinary case ought to be referred to the Disciplinary Committee to be dealt with by them in accordance with the following provisions of this Act.

(4) The Council shall make rules as to the constitution of the Investigating Committee, and any such rules shall include provision requiring the Investigating Committee, on the occasion of a disciplinary case involving an allegation against a body corporate or against a director or employee of a body corporate, to co-opt as a member of the Committee for that occasion a person selected by them from whichever of the following panels is appropriate—

(a) a panel of persons appointed by the Council as capable of representing the interests of bodies corporate carrying on business as ophthalmic opticians; and

(b) a panel of persons appointed by the Council as capable of representing the interests of bodies corporate carrying on business as dispensing opticians,

being, in either case, persons appointed after consultation with organisations appearing to the Council to represent the interests of a substantial number of the bodies concerned.