Section 24: Care provider offence: application to unincorporated associations
258.Section 24 makes provision to ensure that the offence of ill-treatment or wilful neglect caused by a care provider can be properly applied to unincorporated associations, such as general practice or dentistry partnerships.
259.Subsection (1) provides that for the purposes of sections 21 and 23 an unincorporated association is to be taken as owing whatever duties of care it would owe if it were a body corporate.
260.Subsection (2) further provides that any prosecution under sections 21 or 23 brought against an unincorporated association must be brought in the name of the association, not in the name of any of its individual members.
261.Subsection (3) specifies that in any such prosecution the rules of court concerning the service of documents should be applied in respect of the unincorporated association as if it were a body corporate.
262.Subsection (4) provides that in proceedings under sections 21 or 23 against an unincorporated association, the legislative provisions listed in paragraphs (a) and (b) are to be applied as they would be applied to a body corporate.
263.Subsection (5) requires that any fine imposed on an unincorporated association convicted under sections 21 or 23 must be paid from the funds of the association, i.e. not by any individual member of it.