Charter petition to lead to court action
The SOS campaign plans to take its case to the High Court |
The Save Our Society campaign said this week that it will go to the High Court in an attempt to prevent the granting of the new Charter in its final draft form.
The Council of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society petitioned
the Privy Council for a new Royal Charter this month (PJ, 13 December, p801). The
SOS campaign has already confirmed that it will submit a counter-petition.
This week, the SOS campaign said that, acting on legal advice, it will
also be taking its case to the High Court on the basis that the Society’s
Council has abused its powers. “This will entail commencing proceedings
against individual Council members who voted for the resolution at the
2 December meeting,” the group said in a statement.
“Our legal counsel has advised that although there can be no guarantee
of success in such matters, the members have a strong case. He has also
advised that it would not be sensible simply to rely on a counter-petition
and that to have the appropriate effect, legal proceedings must be commenced
as soon as possible,” the statement added.
Ann Lewis, the Society’s Secretary and Registrar, said: “It
is quite wrong to suggest that, in the matter of the new Charter, the
Council has acted outside its authority, in bad faith or without taking
the members’ views into account. The Council has acted entirely
properly, within its authority, using robust processes, to a known timetable
and, particularly, with emphasis on ensuring that decisions have been
fully informed by the views of the membership.” All decisions of
Council were binding on the Council as a whole, she said.
“It is the right of any member of the Society or of the public
to agree, disagree or make no comment on any decision that affects them
and all
citizens have recourse to the law should they wish to test their view,” she
commented.
Miss Lewis added that the process had been transparent, with all decisions
taken in open Council business and that the Council had consulted the
membership widely. “The Council was determined to provide opportunities
for all members to express their views and not to limit feedback to those
who might attend a special general meeting.”
Miss Lewis explained that the Council had undertaken an eight-month consultation
which had included regional roadshows, branch meetings, and discussion
at a number of other meetings such as the annual general meeting and
the British Pharmaceutical Conference. “As a result of this, over
1,000 pharmacists have had the opportunity to debate the draft Charter
proposals with Council members and senior staff: 430 written responses
were received to the consultation on the first draft and 245 responses
received on the second draft. Through their responses, the Society’s
members have played a real part in the development of the new Charter,” she
said.
However, the SOS campaign said that massive disquiet had been expressed
during these meetings. “The concerns expressed by the members at
the SGM have been virtually ignored in the final draft of the Charter,” the
group said.
An official notice stating that the Privy Council has been presented
with a petition for a new Charter appeared in the London Gazette on 15 December (notice code 1106). The notice states: “All petitions
for or against such a grant should be delivered to the Privy Council
Office, 2 Carlton Gardens, London SW1Y 5AA, on or before 23 January.” |
