Service

Regulators’ rules provide for the giving of notice to the practitioner of any hearing before the fitness to practise tribunal or disciplinary committee. The notice of hearing will invariably specify the date, time, and venue of the hearing, and details of the allegation against the practitioner and the facts upon which it is based, and will inform the practitioner of their right to attend the hearing and to be represented at it, and to adduce evidence, as well as inform the practitioner of the power of the tribunal or committee to proceed in the practitioner’s absence and the tribunal or committee’s powers of disposal. The rules of many regulators will invariably also contain provision as to the method of service of the notice of hearing, such as by being delivered to the practitioner personally, by leaving it at the practitioner’s registered address, or last known address if that is more likely to reach them, by sending by registered post or recorded delivery, and additionally by first-class post, or by an email address that the practitioner has provided for the purpose of fitness to practise proceedings. The rules will frequently provide that notice of a substantive or review hearing shall be given to the practitioner no later than twenty-eight days before date of the hearing, although notice of a hearing in relation to interim orders will be required to be given only within such time in advance of the hearing as may be reasonable in all of the circumstances of the case.