The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 274 No 7337 p206-207
19 February 2005

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· Medicines for children
· Labelling
· Morphine sulphate
· Complementary medicine
· CPD
· Co-proxamol withdrawal
· The Council
· The profession
· The Journal
· Support staff

Letters to the Editor

The Council

Flying in the face of natural justice

From Mr W. T. Brookes, FRPharmS

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Council, in approving an out-of-time clarifying amendment to the proposed regulations for the election of Council members has once again caved in to the nameless Privy Council advisers. This is not the first time changes have been requested to agreed procedures, as Stephen Axon so ably demonstrated in his excellent Broad spectrum article (PJ, 22 January, p80) and to which no one has replied.

To deny any member the right to stand for election to the Council by deciding that a regulation everyone expected would only apply after the 2005 election should now apply also to that election flies in the face of natural justice. It appals me that the Council found itself unable to oppose it. The President’s comment that it “only related to one election and affected just two or three individuals” (PJ, 12 February, p183) does him no credit. To happen once is once too often; to affect only one individual is one too many.

The clarifying amendment could be interpreted as a deliberate attempt to stop particular individuals from standing, which is not a pleasant thought. What happened in Council that day must be challenged.

I hope that those standing for Council will make clear their position on this matter.

W. T. Brookes
Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire

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