In This Section

Medico-Legal

The Medico-Legal Section has more than 400 members and is serviced by the Section Committee. The Committee meets four times per year to assist in the development of educational activities in the medico-legal area and to provide Council with advice on medico-legal issues.

Aims

The Medico Legal Section aims to:

  • Promote an understanding of the many intersections of law with surgery and medicine.
  • Identify, develop and promote appropriate educational and scientific programs relevant to medico legal subjects, for use by the College and its Sections, Committees, specialties and Fellowship.
  • Develop and promote standards in relation to third-party reports, including independent medical examinations for medicolegal purposes, by engaging across the College and with appropriate external stakeholders.

Activities

  • James Pryor Lecture, delivered at the Annual Scientific Congress
  • Annual Scientific Congress Medico-Legal program

Peer review

Fellows in non-operative practice (consulting only) are required to undertake a peer reviewed audit of their practice each year (e.g., peer review of three reports). This should be undertaken by a peer who works within a comparable scope of practice and specialty and is participating in the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program in medico-legal practice.

RACS Fellows can claim up to 10 hours per annum under Audit by submitting three medico-legal reports for peer review.

Each Fellow carrying out the peer review of reports can add this activity under Performance Review of Others and can claim 1 point per hour (maximum 15 points per annum).

If required, the Medico-Legal Section Secretariat can assist with identifying appropriate Fellows to undertake peer reviews.

In relation to their CPD obligations, RACS Fellows can claim up to 10 hours per annum under Audit by submitting three medico-legal reports for peer review. If required, the Medico-Legal Section Secretariat can assist with identifying appropriate Fellows to undertake peer reviews.

If you are interested in becoming a peer reviewer, please contact the Medico Legal Secretariat.

Membership enquiries

If you are interested in becoming a member, please forward your details to the Secretariat

Governance

The Section is governed by a Committee as per the Sections Terms of Reference (PDF 92.12KB) (PDF 177.86KB) reporting to the RACS Fellowship Services Committee.

Committee Chair - Gary Speck FRACS

Contact

Medico-Legal Section Secretariat
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
250-290 Spring Street
East Melbourne VIC 3002 Australia

Telephone: +61 3 9249 1290
Email: MedicoLegalSection@surgeons.org