AUSTRALIAN NATUROPATHIC NETWORK
 Serving the community since 1998

The following extracts are taken from the Northern Territory government's Medical Act 1995.

We are still examining the Act for other relevant sections.

56. PERSON NOT TO PRACTISE, &c., WITHOUT LICENCE

(1) Subject to subsection (2), a person, other than a medical practitioner to whom section 29, 31(1) or 34(3) applies, shall not -

(a) practise medicine;

(b) hold himself or herself out as being, or in any manner pretend to be, or take or use the name or title (alone or in conjunc-tion with any other title, word or letter) of, a physician, doctor of medicine, licentiate in medicine or surgery, master in surgery, bachelor of medicine or surgery, doctor, surgeon, medically qualified, registered or licensed practitioner or other medical or surgical name or title; or

(c) hold himself or herself out, directly or indirectly, by a name, word, letter, title or designation, whether expressed in words or by letters, or partly in one and partly in the other, either alone or in conjunction with any other word or words, or by any other means, as being entitled or qualified, able or willing to practise medicine, unless he or she holds a current licence.

Penalty: $25,000 or imprisonment for 5 years.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a person who is registered as a medical practitioner, however described, and entitled to practise medicine in a State or another Territory of the Commonwealth who gives or performs, for a fee or reward, a medical or surgical service, atten-dance, operation or advice -

(a) for the purpose of escorting a patient to or from the Territory;

(b) for the purpose of a surgical operation, being an organ retrieval or transplant by a member of an organ transplant service recognised by the hospital at which the operation takes place;

(c) for the purpose of participation in neonatal or adult intensive care transfers;

(d) for the purpose of compliance with a law in force in the Territory;

(e) for the purpose of proceedings in a court; or

(f) in the case of an emergency.

57. PERSON NOT TO PRACTISE EXCEPT IN OWN NAME

A medical practitioner shall not practise medicine except in his or her own name or in the name of a medical company.

Penalty: $5,000.

58. UNREGISTERED PERSONS NOT TO HOLD MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS

A person, other than a medical practitioner, shall not hold an appointment -

(a) as a physician, surgeon or other medical officer in -

(i) a hospital, infirmary or dispensary, or in a public institution for affording medical relief in sickness, mental illness, infirmity or old age;

(ii) a health centre, or welfare, natal, or industrial clinic or other centre or clinic for the promotion of public health by the prevention or

early diagnosis or the treatment of disease; or

(iii) a prison within the meaning of the Prisons (Correctional Services) Act or a detention centre within the meaning of the Juvenile Justice Act; or

(b) as a Medical Officer of Health within the meaning of the Public Health Act.

Penalty: $10,000.

59. SIGNING DEATH CERTIFICATES, &c.

A person, other than a medical practitioner, shall not sign -

(a) a certificate required by a law of the Territory from a physician, surgeon, licentiate in medicine or surgery, medical practitioner or from a Medical Officer of Health within the meaning of the Public Health Act; or

(b) a medical certificate of the cause of death of a person.

Penalty: $5,000.

All extracts are taken from the Northern Territory government's Medical Act 1995.