Veterinary Practice Bill

This Act is the Veterinary Practice Act 2026 and comes into operation on a date that the Minister appoints by notification in the Gazette.

PRELIMINARY

In this Act —“animal” means a mammal (other than a human being), a bird, a reptile, an amphibian, or a fish (including a crustacean, mollusc or other aquatic invertebrate), and includes the young or egg of any animal;“business name” means the name under which a person carries on a business;“certificate of registration”, in relation to a registered veterinarian, means a certificate of registration issued by the Council under section 22;“complainant” means the person who brings a disciplinary case against a registered veterinarian and, if the disciplinary case is brought by the Council, includes the Council;“Complaints Assessment Committee” means a Complaints Assessment Committee appointed by the Council under section 47;“Complaints Panel” means the Complaints Panel appointed by the Council under section 39;“Council” means the Veterinary Council established under section 4;“Director‑General, Animal Health and Welfare” means the Director‑General, Animal Health and Welfare appointed under section 3(1) of the Animals and Birds Act 1965;“disciplinary case” means a complaint made against, or any information provided about, a registered veterinarian under Part 5, and, if an interim suspension order is made against the registered veterinarian in relation to the complaint or information, includes any contravention or suspected contravention of the interim suspension order or any term specified for the interim suspension order;“Disciplinary Committee” means a Disciplinary Committee appointed by the Council under section 53;“interim order” means an interim restriction order or interim suspension order;“Interim Orders Committee” means an Interim Orders Committee appointed by the Council under section 63;“interim restriction order” means an order of an Interim Orders Committee under Division 6 of Part 5 providing that the registration of a registered veterinarian is conditional on his or her compliance with any condition or restriction specified in the order;“interim suspension order” means an order of an Interim Orders Committee under Division 6 of Part 5 providing that the registration of a registered veterinarian is suspended;“investigator” means an investigator appointed under section 79;“layperson” means an individual who is not a veterinarian, and includes a legal professional;“legal professional” means an individual who —(a)has at any time held, but no longer holds, office as a Supreme Court Judge or Judicial Commissioner; or(b)is —(i)an advocate and solicitor of at least 10 years’ standing;(ii)a Judicial Service Officer or Legal Service Officer who has at least 10 years of full‑time employment in the Singapore Judicial Service or Singapore Legal Service (or both); or(iii)an advocate and solicitor, a Judicial Service Officer or a Legal Service Officer who has any combination of standing mentioned in sub‑paragraph (i) and employment mentioned in sub‑paragraph (ii) which is at least 10 years;“medical practitioner” means an individual who is a legally qualified medical practitioner within the meaning given by section 16 of the Medical Registration Act 1997;“National Parks Board” means the National Parks Board established by the repealed National Parks Act (Cap. 198A, 1991 Revised Edition) as in force before 1 July 1996 and continued by section 3 of the National Parks Board Act 1996;“practice of veterinary medicine” means the performance of any procedure on, the giving of any treatment to (or advice in relation to), or the attendance to, an animal that is usually carried out or given by veterinarians, such as —(a)the diagnosis of any disease in, or injury to, the animal, including the performance of any test for the purpose of diagnosing the physiological or pathological condition of the animal;(b)the giving of advice based on such diagnosis;(c)the medical treatment (including of a dental or surgical nature) of the animal;(d)the administration of anaesthetics to the animal;(e)the prescription of any drug or medication for the animal;(f)the issuance or endorsement of any certificate, report or document in relation to the animal that requires or implies the exercise of professional veterinary judgment, including a document stating or attesting to any of the following matters in relation to the animal:(i)health status, disease status, vaccination status or physical condition;(ii)identity, age, sex or neuter status;(iii)cause of death or findings of a post‑mortem examination;(iv)the performance of any treatment, test or procedure,and “practise veterinary medicine” is to be construed accordingly;“practising certificate” means a practising certificate granted or renewed under section 23;“president” means the president of the Council;“public authority” means a body established or constituted by or under a public Act to perform or discharge a public function, excluding a Town Council established under section 4 of the Town Councils Act 1988;“register” means any register mentioned in section 15;“registered veterinarian” means an individual who is registered under this Act as —(a)a veterinarian with full registration;(b)a veterinarian with restricted registration; or(c)a specialist;“Registrar” means the Registrar of the Council appointed under section 14(1), and (except for section 4(2)(c) or 7(1)(j)) includes a Deputy Registrar appointed under section 14(2);“specialist” means an individual who is registered as a specialist under this Act;“veterinarian with full registration” means an individual registered as such under this Act;“veterinarian with restricted registration” means an individual registered as such under this Act;“veterinary medicine” means any branch of veterinary medicine, and includes veterinary surgery;“veterinary student” means an individual who is enrolled in a university to receive, and receives, education for a degree in veterinary medicine, or any similar qualification, provided by the university.

“animal” means a mammal (other than a human being), a bird, a reptile, an amphibian, or a fish (including a crustacean, mollusc or other aquatic invertebrate), and includes the young or egg of any animal;

“business name” means the name under which a person carries on a business;

“certificate of registration”, in relation to a registered veterinarian, means a certificate of registration issued by the Council under section 22;

“complainant” means the person who brings a disciplinary case against a registered veterinarian and, if the disciplinary case is brought by the Council, includes the Council;

“Complaints Assessment Committee” means a Complaints Assessment Committee appointed by the Council under section 47;

“Complaints Panel” means the Complaints Panel appointed by the Council under section 39;

“Council” means the Veterinary Council established under section 4;

“Director‑General, Animal Health and Welfare” means the Director‑General, Animal Health and Welfare appointed under section 3(1) of the Animals and Birds Act 1965;

“disciplinary case” means a complaint made against, or any information provided about, a registered veterinarian under Part 5, and, if an interim suspension order is made against the registered veterinarian in relation to the complaint or information, includes any contravention or suspected contravention of the interim suspension order or any term specified for the interim suspension order;

“Disciplinary Committee” means a Disciplinary Committee appointed by the Council under section 53;

“interim order” means an interim restriction order or interim suspension order;

“Interim Orders Committee” means an Interim Orders Committee appointed by the Council under section 63;

“interim restriction order” means an order of an Interim Orders Committee under Division 6 of Part 5 providing that the registration of a registered veterinarian is conditional on his or her compliance with any condition or restriction specified in the order;

“interim suspension order” means an order of an Interim Orders Committee under Division 6 of Part 5 providing that the registration of a registered veterinarian is suspended;

“investigator” means an investigator appointed under section 79;

“layperson” means an individual who is not a veterinarian, and includes a legal professional;

“legal professional” means an individual who —(a)has at any time held, but no longer holds, office as a Supreme Court Judge or Judicial Commissioner; or(b)is —(i)an advocate and solicitor of at least 10 years’ standing;(ii)a Judicial Service Officer or Legal Service Officer who has at least 10 years of full‑time employment in the Singapore Judicial Service or Singapore Legal Service (or both); or(iii)an advocate and solicitor, a Judicial Service Officer or a Legal Service Officer who has any combination of standing mentioned in sub‑paragraph (i) and employment mentioned in sub‑paragraph (ii) which is at least 10 years;

“medical practitioner” means an individual who is a legally qualified medical practitioner within the meaning given by section 16 of the Medical Registration Act 1997;

“National Parks Board” means the National Parks Board established by the repealed National Parks Act (Cap. 198A, 1991 Revised Edition) as in force before 1 July 1996 and continued by section 3 of the National Parks Board Act 1996;

“practice of veterinary medicine” means the performance of any procedure on, the giving of any treatment to (or advice in relation to), or the attendance to, an animal that is usually carried out or given by veterinarians, such as —(a)the diagnosis of any disease in, or injury to, the animal, including the performance of any test for the purpose of diagnosing the physiological or pathological condition of the animal;(b)the giving of advice based on such diagnosis;(c)the medical treatment (including of a dental or surgical nature) of the animal;(d)the administration of anaesthetics to the animal;(e)the prescription of any drug or medication for the animal;(f)the issuance or endorsement of any certificate, report or document in relation to the animal that requires or implies the exercise of professional veterinary judgment, including a document stating or attesting to any of the following matters in relation to the animal:(i)health status, disease status, vaccination status or physical condition;(ii)identity, age, sex or neuter status;(iii)cause of death or findings of a post‑mortem examination;(iv)the performance of any treatment, test or procedure,and “practise veterinary medicine” is to be construed accordingly;

“practising certificate” means a practising certificate granted or renewed under section 23;

“president” means the president of the Council;

“public authority” means a body established or constituted by or under a public Act to perform or discharge a public function, excluding a Town Council established under section 4 of the Town Councils Act 1988;

“register” means any register mentioned in section 15;

“registered veterinarian” means an individual who is registered under this Act as —(a)a veterinarian with full registration;(b)a veterinarian with restricted registration; or(c)a specialist;

“Registrar” means the Registrar of the Council appointed under section 14(1), and (except for section 4(2)(c) or 7(1)(j)) includes a Deputy Registrar appointed under section 14(2);

“specialist” means an individual who is registered as a specialist under this Act;

“veterinarian with full registration” means an individual registered as such under this Act;

“veterinarian with restricted registration” means an individual registered as such under this Act;

“veterinary medicine” means any branch of veterinary medicine, and includes veterinary surgery;

“veterinary student” means an individual who is enrolled in a university to receive, and receives, education for a degree in veterinary medicine, or any similar qualification, provided by the university.

In this Act and any other written law, “duly qualified veterinarian”, or any expression importing a person recognised by law as a veterinarian, means an individual who is a registered veterinarian and has a valid practising certificate, but excludes —(a)a registered veterinarian whose registration is suspended under this Act; and(b)a registered veterinarian whose practising certificate is suspended under this Act.