The General Dental Council (Constitution) Order 2009

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order makes provision with regard to the constitution of the General Dental Council (“the GDC”). The GDC is to consist of 12 registrant members, who are dentists or dental care professionals registered with the GDC, and 12 lay members (article 2). Their terms of office will be determined by the Privy Council – or if directed by the Privy Council to do so, the Appointments Commission – on appointment. There are limitations on the period for which members may serve on the GDC (article 3). The GDC is to make provision with regard to the education and training of its members in standing orders (article 4).

Certain categories of people, for example people who have been convicted of certain types of offences where the conviction is not spent, are disqualified from being members of the GDC, and once members have been appointed, there are certain circumstances in which they may be removed from office (articles 5 and 6). In some circumstances, a member may also be suspended from office, and there are provisions relating to the provisional suspension by the GDC itself, pending the taking of a decision by the Privy Council (or, in its place, the Appointments Commission) to suspend or remove that member (article 7).

There are also provisions relating to the appointment of the chair, who is to be elected from among the members of the GDC, but who will cease to be chair if that person is suspended as a member of the GDC or loses a vote of no confidence. The last president of the GDC before it was newly constituted by virtue of this Order will, if reappointed to the GDC as a temporary member, serve as the first chair of the newly constituted GDC for three months (articles 8 and 9). There are provisions relating to the deputising arrangements for the chair, and the GDC will have powers to appoint a deputy chair to serve during an absence of a chair that is likely to be for more than one month or one meeting, or if the position of chair is vacant (article 10).

There are also provisions relating to the proceedings of the GDC. Its quorum is 13, and there are special provisions to prevent the GDC’s proceedings being invalidated by matters such as a vacancy or a defect in the appointment of a member (articles 11 and 12).