These Rules, which extend to Scotland only, amend the General Medical Council (Legal Assessors) Rules 1980 (“the 1980 Rules”), which regulate the functions of legal assessors appointed by the General Medical Council to advise the Professional Conduct Committee, the Assessment Referral Committee, the Committee on Professional Performance, the Health Committee and the Preliminary Proceedings Committee on questions of law arising in proceedings before them.

The amendments are necessary as a consequence of amendments to the Medical Act 1983 under which a new committee of the General Medical Council, called the Interim Orders Committee is created. These Rules provide for the 1980 Rules to apply to the new committee, in the same way as they apply to the existing ones.