CANCER (REGISTRATION) BILL 2009

A Bill for an Act to provide for the registration of details about cancer and for related matters

An Act to provide for the registration of details about cancer and for related matters

The Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory enacts as follows:

This Act may be cited as the Cancer (Registration) Act 2009.

This Act commences on the date fixed by the Administrator by Gazette notice.

(i) in which cell multiplication is uncontrolled and progressive; and

(ii) that, if unchecked, may invade adjacent tissues or extend beyond its site of origin; and

(iii) that has the propensity to recur, either locally or remotely in the body; or

Chief Health Officer means the person holding or occupying the office of Chief Health Officer under the Public Health Act.

(a) a hospital as defined in section 5 of the Medical Services Act; or

(b) a private hospital as defined in section 4 of the Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Act.

Part 3 information means information given to the Registrar under Part 3.

prescribed details means details prescribed by regulation.

Registrar means the person holding or occupying the office of Registrar mentioned in section .

Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages means the person holding or occupying the office of Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act.

The Minister may, by Gazette notice, declare a disease to be cancer for this Act.

Part IIAA of the Criminal Code applies to an offence against this Act.

Part IIAA of the Criminal Code states the general principles of criminal responsibility, establishes general defences, and deals with burden of proof. It also defines, or elaborates on, certain concepts commonly used in the creation of offences.

The Registrar must keep a register containing the prescribed details given to the Registrar under this Act.

Part 3 Giving information to the Registrar
Duty of person in charge of place where specimen collected

(a) a specimen of human origin is collected at a place in the Territory (the place) for pathological examination, whether the pathological examination takes place within the Territory or elsewhere; and

(b) the pathological examination of the specimen indicates that the person from whom the specimen was taken is or was suffering from cancer.

(2) The person in charge of the place must give the Registrar the prescribed details for the person from whom the specimen was taken within 7 days after the person in charge receives the results.

(3) Subsection (2) does not require a person to give prescribed details not reasonably available to the person.

(2) The person in charge of the hospital must give the Registrar the prescribed details for the patient:

(a) for a patient diagnosed with cancer – within 7 days after the patient is diagnosed; or

(b) for a patient who dies – within 7 days after the patient dies.

(3) Subsection (2) does not require a person to give prescribed details not reasonably available to the person.

(1) This section applies if the Registrar is given prescribed details for a person under section or and considers further information is required to ensure the accuracy or completeness of the register.

(2) The Registrar may, by written notice, direct any of the following persons to give the further information identified by the notice to the Registrar:

(a) the person who gave the Registrar the prescribed details;

(c) if the Registrar considers another medical practitioner has information that may ensure the accuracy or completeness of the register – the medical practitioner.

(3) The notice must include a statement informing the person that failure to comply with the direction within 7 days after receiving it is an offence under this Act.

(4) The person must comply with the direction within 7 days after receiving it.

(5) Subsection (4) does not require a person to give prescribed details not reasonably available to the person.

If the registration of a person's death under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act shows cancer as a cause of death, the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages must give the Registrar under this Act the details contained in the registration within 42 days after the registration.

(1) A person must not, in purported compliance with this Part, give the Registrar a document containing misleading information.

Fault element: The person knows the document contains misleading information.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply if the person, when giving the document:

(a) draws the misleading aspect of the document to the Registrar's attention; and

(b) to the extent to which the person can reasonably do so – gives the Registrar the information necessary to remedy the misleading aspect of the document.

misleading information means information that is misleading in a material particular because it:

Part 4 Use of information
Confidentiality of information

(1) A person must not disclose Part 3 information obtained by the person in the course of carrying out functions for the administration of this Act.

Fault element: The person is reckless as to the disclosure of the information.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a person disclosing information under sections to .

For the administration of this Act, a person may disclose Part 3 information to another person who is carrying out functions for the administration of this Act.

The Registrar may disclose Part 3 information in a statistical form that does not identify the person who is the subject of the information.

The Registrar may disclose Part 3 information, other than in a statistical form, if:

(a) the disclosure is for the purpose of ensuring the accuracy of the register; and

(i) the person responsible for maintaining a cancer register established under a law of the Commonwealth, a State or another Territory; or

(ii) the National Cancer Statistics Clearing House at the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; and

(c) before disclosing the information, the Registrar takes reasonable steps to protect the privacy of a person who is the subject of the information.

(1) The Chief Health Officer may authorise a person as someone to whom Part 3 information, or Part 3 information of a particular kind, may be disclosed:

(a) to enable the person to undertake scientific research in accordance with the guidelines for research involving humans published by the National Health and Medical Research Council from time to time; or

(b) for the purpose of quality assurance, public safety or statistical reporting.

(2) The Registrar may disclose Part 3 information, or Part 3 information of a particular kind, as mentioned in an authority under subsection (1) to a person specified in the authority if, before disclosing the information, the Registrar:

(a) takes reasonable steps to protect the privacy of a person who is the subject of the information; and

(b) if the information was given under section – obtains the written consent of the Registrar for Births, Deaths and Marriages to disclose the information.

Part 5 Protection from liability
Protection of people giving information

(1) If a person, acting in good faith, gives information to the Registrar under Part 3:

(a) giving the information is not a breach of confidentiality, professional etiquette, professional ethics or a rule of professional conduct; and

(b) the person is not civilly or criminally liable for giving the information.

(2) Subsection (1) does not affect any liability the Territory would, apart from that subsection, have for the giving of the information.

(1) A person is not civilly or criminally liable for an act done or omitted to be done by the person in good faith in the exercise of a power or performance of a function under this Act as:

(2) Subsection (1) does not affect any liability the Territory would, apart from that subsection, have for the act or omission.

exercise, of a power, includes the purported exercise of the power.

performance, of a function, includes the purported performance of the function.

Part 6 Administrative matters
Prosecution for offence

A prosecution for an offence against this Act must not be started without the written approval of the Chief Health Officer.

Part 7 Repeal and transitional matters for Cancer (Registration) Act 2009

The Cancer (Registration) Act 1988 (No. 64 of 1988) is repealed.

commencement date means the date on which section commences.

repealed Act means the Cancer (Registration) Act as in force immediately before the commencement date.

(1) The person holding the office of Registrar under the repealed Act immediately before the commencement date is taken to be the Registrar appointed under section .

(2) If a person is acting in the office of Registrar under the repealed Act immediately before the commencement date, the person is taken to be acting in the office of Registrar under this Act.

The register kept under the repealed Act immediately before the commencement date is taken to be the register under this Act.

Northern Territory Bills

CANCER (REGISTRATION) BILL 2009