Zambia Act or statute

Zambia legislation

Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1964

board establishmentboard functionsboard governancedefinitionsdispute resolutioneducationgazette publicationgovernancehearingsinquiriesBusiness registrationlicensing/registrationmeetingspenaltiespractising restrictionsprocedureprofessional conductprofessional qualificationprofessional registrationprofessional regulationpublic noticespublic office vacancyre-registrationrecord keepingregister maintenanceregistrationregulatory powersunregistered practiceveterinary practiceveterinary qualificationveterinary registrationvotingwitness summons

Jurisdiction: Zambia
Structure: 25 provisions
Citation: Act 12 of 1964
Dates: Undated source snapshot

More statute details

Dates: Undated source snapshot

Publicly available, excluded from search-engine indexing

This page remains available for direct research for the following reasons:

The record does not meet this release's canonical indexing criteria. (market-indexing-disabled)
The record does not meet this release's canonical indexing criteria. (emergency-noindex)

On this page

Professional statute overview

Enactment structure, operative effect and source provenance

Official source

Purpose and legislative effect

“This section gives the Act’s short title: it may be cited as the Veterinary Surgeons Act.”

This section gives the Act’s short title: it may be cited as the Veterinary Surgeons Act. This section defines key terms used in the Act, including the Board, Director, Register, registration, and registered veterinary surgeon. A Board called the Board of Veterinary Surgery is established, with its membership and appointment process set out. A Board member’s office becomes vacant if certain events happen, including resignation notice, incapacity, bankruptcy, imprisonment without a fine option, or missing two meetings without leave. The chairman sets the time and place of Board meetings and gives notice; five members form a quorum; decisions are by majority vote, with the chairman casting a tie-breaking vote.

How the instrument operates

01
Start with the recorded version

Undated source snapshot. The date shown identifies this source expression and should not be treated as proof that no later change exists.
02
Locate the controlling provision

Use the provision map, part headings and full-text filter to move from the broad subject to the exact legal language.
03
Read conditions and exceptions together

Keep subsections, definitions, provisos and cross-references in context before drawing a legal conclusion.
04
Verify currency and official wording

Confirm later legislation, commencement notices and corrections with the official publisher before advice, filing or reliance.

Research entry points

Selected provisions across the instrument. Open any row to continue with the exact stored text.

Short title ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1

This section gives the Act’s short title: it may be cited as the Veterinary Surgeons Act.

Section 1

Unregistered persons prohibited from practising ............................................................................................................................... 2

Unregistered people must not practise veterinary surgery or medicine, or hold themselves out as veterinary surgeons, unless they are registered.

Section 7

Disciplinary powers of Board ................................................................................................................................................................... 4

The Board may discipline a registered veterinary surgeon by cautioning, censuring, or striking the person’s name off the Register if the surgeon is convicted of a felony or found guilty of disgraceful conduct; it may also strike off a p…

Section 13

This section names the Degree in Veterinary Medicine granted by the University of Nairobi.

Section 1

Unregistered persons prohibited from practising ............................................................................................................................... 2

The text lists veterinary science degrees and diplomas from specified authorities, and gives form text for applying for registration and for a registration certificate.

Section 7

Source and current-law status

Source record view

Source record from zambialii.org · Undated source snapshot

Verify current force

The source record does not state a definitive current-law status. Check the official publisher and later amendments before relying on this text.

For advice, pleadings, or compliance decisions, retain the official source and confirm the current consolidated provision.

Official record

Source-indexed provision map

Sections and provisions

Search by section, heading, part or exact legal wording. Every result remains linked to the stored source record.

Search within this statute

Search all stored provisions in this version.

Showing 25 of 25 provisions

Amendment 7Repeal 7Provision 6Short title 2

§ 1Short title ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1Short title

This section gives the Act’s short title: it may be cited as the Veterinary Surgeons Act.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Veterinary Surgeons Act.

Section 1Verify source

§ 2Interpretation .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1Interpretation

This section defines key terms used in the Act, including the Board, Director, Register, registration, and registered veterinary surgeon.

2. Interpretation In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires— "Board" means the Board of Veterinary Surgery established under section three; "Director" means the Director of Veterinary Services; "practice of veterinary surgery or medicine" includes the performance of any operation and the giving of and providing of any treatment, test, advice, diagnosis or attendance such as is usually performed, given or provided by veterinary surgeons; "the Register" means the Register of Veterinary Surgeons provided for in section nine; "to register" means to enter in the Register the particulars required by section nine; "registered veterinary surgeon" means a person whose name appears in the Register as a veterinary surgeon.

Section 2Verify source

§ 3Establishment and constitution of Board .............................................................................................................................................. 1Amendment

A Board called the Board of Veterinary Surgery is established, with its membership and appointment process set out.

3. Establishment and constitution of Board There is hereby established a Board, to be known as the Board of Veterinary Surgery, which shall consist of — (a) the Director, who shall be the Chairman; (b) three members (of whom two shall be veterinary surgeons) to be appointed by the Minister; and (c) two other members (of whom one shall be a private practitioner) to be elected by the Veterinary Association of Zambia from among persons who are registered veterinary surgeons and appointed by the Minister. [As amended by Act No. 18 of 1975] By Laws.Africa and contributors. Licensed under CC-BY. Share widely and freely. 1 Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1964 (Chapter 243)

Section 3Verify source

§ 4Vacation of ofﬁce ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 2Repeal

A Board member’s office becomes vacant if certain events happen, including resignation notice, incapacity, bankruptcy, imprisonment without a fine option, or missing two meetings without leave.

4. Vacation of ofﬁce Zambia Repealed The ofﬁce of a member of the Board, other than the Director of Veterinary Services, shall become vacant— (a) one month after the date he gives notice, in writing, to the Minister of his intention to resign his ofﬁce; (b) if he becomes mentally or physically incapable of performing his duties as a member; (c) if he is adjudged bankrupt; (d) on the date he begins to serve a sentence of imprisonment imposed without the option of a ﬁne; (e) if he has absented himself from two consecutive meetings of the Board without its leave.

Section 4Verify source

§ 5Meetings and decisions of Board ............................................................................................................................................................. 2Amendment

The chairman sets the time and place of Board meetings and gives notice; five members form a quorum; decisions are by majority vote, with the chairman casting a tie-breaking vote.

5. Meetings and decisions of Board (1) Meetings shall be held at such times and places as the chairman of the Board may determine and shall be convened by notice given by him. (2) Five members shall form a quorum at a meeting of the Board. (3) All decisions at any meeting of the Board shall be by majority vote of the members present thereat, and in the event of an equality of votes, the chairman shall have a casting vote in addition to his deliverative vote. [As amended by Act No. 18 of 1975]

Section 5Verify source

§ 6Functions of Board ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 2Provision

The Board must hold inquiries for this Act and do other things the Act requires it to do.

6. Functions of Board It shall be the function of the Board to hold inquiries for the purpose of this Act and to do all other things required to be done by the Board under the provisions of this Act.

Section 6Verify source

§ 7Unregistered persons prohibited from practising ............................................................................................................................... 2Amendment

Unregistered people must not practise veterinary surgery or medicine, or hold themselves out as veterinary surgeons, unless they are registered.

7. Unregistered persons prohibited from practising (1) No person shall— (a) practise veterinary surgery or medicine; or (b) hold himself out or allow himself to be held out as a veterinary surgeon; unless he is a registered veterinary surgeon. (2) Nothing in subsection (1) shall be construed as precluding an unregistered person from performing, giving or providing, in accordance with the provisions of the First Schedule, any operation, treatment, test, advice, diagnosis or attendance which is speciﬁed in the said Schedule. (3) A person who contravenes the provisions of subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable, on conviction, to a ﬁne not exceeding two thousand penalty units or, in default of payment, to imprisonment with or without hard labour for a period not exceeding six months, or to such imprisonment without the option of a ﬁne, or to both. [As amended by Act No. 13 of 1994]

Section 7Verify source

§ 8Qualiﬁcations for registration .................................................................................................................................................................... 2Repeal

A person may be registered as a veterinary surgeon only if the stated qualifications, good character, and register-status conditions are met.

8. Qualiﬁcations for registration Subject to the provisions of this Act, a person shall be qualiﬁed to be registered as a veterinary surgeon— (a) if he holds, to the satisfaction of the Director, one or more of the qualiﬁcations set out in the Second Schedule; (b) if he is of good character; and By Laws.Africa and contributors. Licensed under CC-BY. Share widely and freely. 2 Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1964 (Chapter 243) Zambia Repealed (c) if his name has not been struck out of the Register on the direction of the Board: Provided that a person whose name has been struck off shall not be disqualiﬁed under this paragraph, if— (i) the Board has granted him written authority to make application for re-registration; or (ii) the High Court has, on appeal, reversed the direction of the Board that his name be struck out of the Register. [As amended by Act No 18 of 1975]

Section 8Verify source

§ 9Register to be kept ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 3Amendment

The Director must keep the Register of Veterinary Surgeons, record required details for qualified applicants, and publish registered veterinary surgeons’ details in the Gazette; the Director may also make necessary changes to entries.

9. Register to be kept (1) The Director shall keep a book called "The Register of Veterinary Surgeons" in which shall be entered the full name, address, qualiﬁcations and date of registration of every person who is qualiﬁed to be registered as a veterinary surgeon and who applies for registration. (2) The name, address, qualiﬁcations and date of registration of every veterinary surgeon shall upon registration be published in the Gazette. (3) The Director may make in the Register any necessary alteration in any entry contained therein. [As amended by Act No. 18 of 1975]

Section 9Verify source

§ 10Application for registration ....................................................................................................................................................................... 3Amendment

People seeking registration as a veterinary surgeon must apply in writing to the Director and provide supporting qualifications and other requested documents; a 400 fee-unit fee is payable on registration, and the Director must issue a certificate.

10. Application for registration (1) Any person who desires to be registered as a veterinary, surgeon shall make written application therefor to the Director in the form set out in the Third Schedule. (2) The application shall be supported by the original, or a certiﬁed copy of the certiﬁcate, diploma or other documents recording such qualiﬁcation held by the applicant as is required to qualify him to be registered as a veterinary surgeon, and by such other documents and information as the Director may require. (3) A fee of four hundred fee units shall be payable by an applicant upon being registered as a veterinary surgeon. (4) Upon registration of an applicant as a veterinary surgeon the Director shall issue to the person so registered a certiﬁcate in the form set out in the Fourth Schedule. [As amended by Acts No. 18 of 1975 and No. 13 of 1994]

Section 10Verify source

§ 11Annual publication of list of registered veterinary surgeons ....................................................................................................... 3Amendment

Each January, the Director must publish in the Gazette a list of all people on the Register at the end of the previous year, with their Zambia addresses and qualifications.

11. Annual publication of list of registered veterinary surgeons (1) During the month of January in each year the Director shall cause to be published in the Gazette a list containing the full names of all persons on the Register at the end of the previous year, together with their addresses in Zambia and their qualiﬁcations. (2) The publication of such a list shall be Prima facie evidence that the persons named therein are registered veterinary surgeons and the absence of the name of any person shall be prima facie evidence that such person is not so registered. [As amended by Act No. 18 of 1975]

Section 11Verify source

§ 12Removal of name from Register ............................................................................................................................................................. 3Repeal

The Director must remove or restore the name of a registered veterinary surgeon in the Register in specified situations, including Board or High Court direction, written application, death, or cessation of practice.

12. Removal of name from Register (1) The Director shall strike out of the Register the name of a registered veterinary surgeon whose name has been directed to be struck out by the Board under section thirteen, and shall re-enter such name in the Register if the High Court so directs. By Laws.Africa and contributors. Licensed under CC-BY. Share widely and freely. 3 Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1964 (Chapter 243) Zambia Repealed (2) The Director shall remove from the Register the name of any registered veterinary surgeon— (a) who makes written application to the Director to have his name removed; or (b) who the Director is satisﬁed is dead. (3) Upon being satisﬁed that a registered veterinary surgeon has ceased to practise veterinary surgery or medicine in Zambia, the Director shall— (a) publish in the Gazette notiﬁcation of his intention to remove the name of such registered veterinary surgeon from the Register; (b) send a copy of such notiﬁcation to the address of the said registered veterinary surgeon or, if such address is not known, to the address recorded in the Register; and if no objection to the removal of the name is received within thirty days of such publication, the Director shall remove the said name from the Register.

Section 12Verify source

§ 13Disciplinary powers of Board ................................................................................................................................................................... 4Provision

13. Disciplinary powers of Board (1) If any registered veterinary surgeon shall be convicted of a felony or shall, after due inquiry of the Board, be deemed to have been guilty of infamous or disgraceful conduct in any professional or other respects, the Board may do one or more of the following: (a) caution him; (b) censure him; (c) direct that his name be struck out of the Register. (2) If any person, after due inquiry by the Board, shall be found by the Board to have procured his registration under this Act as a veterinary surgeon by any false or fraudulent representation or declaration, the Board may direct that his name be struck out of the Register.

Section 13Verify source

§ 14Right of audience ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4Amendment

In inquiries under section 13, the person being investigated can be heard by the Board, and the Board can summon witnesses, require documents, administer oaths, and regulate its own procedure.

14. Right of audience (1) (2) (3) In any inquiry held under section thirteen, the person concerning whom such inquiry is held shall be entitled to be heard by the Board in person or through his legal representative. In any such inquiry as is referred to in the preceding subsection, the Board shall have the power to summon witnesses, to call for the production of books, documents, records and other things and to examine witnesses under oath, and for such purpose the chairman of the Board is hereby authorised to administer such oath. If any person who has been summoned under the foregoing subsection, having reasonable notice of the time and place at which he is required to attend, fails to attend, or refuses to take an oath or to answer any question he is lawfully required to answer or refuses or fails to produce any book, document, record or other thing and does not excuse his refusal to the satisfaction of the Board, such person shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a ﬁne not exceeding two hundred and ﬁfty penalty units. (4) In the exercise of the powers conferred upon it by section thirteen, the Board shall have power to regulate its own procedure. [As amended by Acts No 18 of 1975 and No. 13 of 1994]

Section 14Verify source

§ 15Authority for re-registration ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4Repeal

A person whose name was struck off the Register on the Board’s direction may apply in writing to the Board for authority to seek re-registration, and the Board may grant or refuse that authority.

15. Authority for re-registration Any person whose name has been struck out of the Register on the direction of the Board may make written application to the Board for authority to make application for re-registration, and the Board may grant or refuse such authority. By Laws.Africa and contributors. Licensed under CC-BY. Share widely and freely. 4 Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1964 (Chapter 243) Zambia Repealed

Section 15Verify source

§ 16Appeals ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5Provision

A person aggrieved by a Board decision may appeal to the High Court, but only if notice of appeal is given within 30 days.

16. Appeals Any person aggrieved by any decision of the Board may appeal to the High Court, and the Court may make such order as it may deem ﬁt: Provided that no such appeal shall lie unless notice of appeal is given within thirty days after the date of the decision of the Board.

Section 16Verify source

§ 17Existing registered veterinary surgeons ............................................................................................................................................... 5Commencement

The Director must register certain qualifying veterinary surgeons and veterinary officers, publish their details in the Gazette, and the usual fee is waived for those registered under this section except in one case.

17. Existing registered veterinary surgeons (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the Director shall register the name, address, qualiﬁcations and date of registration of any person who— (a) immediately prior to the commencement of this Act, was ordinarily resident in Zambia and was a registered veterinary surgeon under the provisions of the *1Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1961, of the Legislature of the former Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland; or [*Discontinued by G.N. No. 447 of 1963.] (b) subsequent to the commencement of this Act, is appointed to the public service as a veterinary ofﬁcer. (2) The Director shall cause to be published in the Gazette the name, address, qualiﬁcation and date of registration of any person whose name is registered in accordance with subsection (1). (3) The fee required by subsection (3) of section ten shall not be payable by a person whose name is registered in accordance with subsection (1) but such fee shall, in the case of a person registered under paragraph (b) of subsection (1), become payable upon termination of such person's appointment of the public service as a veterinary ofﬁcer. [As amended by Act No. 18 of 1975]

Section 17Verify source

§ 18Regulations ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5Repeal

The Minister may issue directions and make regulations to give effect to the Act, and the First Schedule lists certain acts unregistered persons may perform.

18. Regulations The Minister may give such directions and, by statutory instrument, make such regulations as he may think ﬁt for the purpose of giving effect to the provisions of this Act. [As amended by Act No. 18 of 1975] First Schedule (Section 7) Operations, treatments, tests, advice, diagnosis and attendance which may be performed, given or provided by unregistered persons The following treatments, tests, operations and other acts may be performed by unregistered persons: (a) any non-surgical treatment given to an animal by— (i) its owner; or (ii) a member of the household of which the owner is a member; or (iii) a person in the employment of the owner; or (iv) a person in the employment of a person referred to in subparagraph (ii); (b) anything done, otherwise than for payment or material advantage, by a person engaged or employed in farming to any animal owned for the purposes of agriculture; (c) anything done in the course of his duties by a person employed by the Government; By Laws.Africa and contributors. Licensed under CC-BY. Share widely and freely. 5 Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1964 (Chapter 243) Zambia Repealed (d) the rendering in an emergency of ﬁrst aid for the purposes of saving life or relieving pain; (e) the performance of the following operations: (i) caponising of poultry; (ii) castration of bovines, rams or goats with a bloodless castrator; (iii) castration of boars up to three months of age; (iv) the tailing of a lamb; (v) the docking of a tail of a dog before the dog's eyes are open; (vi) the amputation of the dew claws of a dog before the dog's eyes are open. [As amended by Act No. 18 of 1975] Second Schedule (Section 8) Qualiﬁcations for registration as a veterinary surgeon

Section 18Verify source

This section names the Degree in Veterinary Medicine granted by the University of Nairobi.

1. Degree in Veterinary Medicine granted by the University of Nairobi.

Section 1Verify source

This section concerns membership or fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

2. Membership or Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Section 2Verify source

§ 3Establishment and constitution of Board .............................................................................................................................................. 1Provision

This provision states a degree requirement: a Veterinary Science or Medicine degree must be granted by a university in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland.

3. Degree in Veterinary Science or Medicine granted by a University in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland.

Section 3Verify source

A qualifying degree is a Veterinary Science or Medicine degree from a Commonwealth university, approved by the Board.

4. Degree in Veterinary Science or Medicine granted by any University in the Commonwealth and approved by the Board.

Section 4Verify source

A Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from a listed U.S. university is recognized, together with any additional qualification required before practice is permitted in the United States.

5. Degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine granted by the Veterinary School of any one of the following Universities in the United States of America, together with such additional qualiﬁcation as is required before practice is permitted in the United States of America: Auburn California Colorado Iowa Kansas Michigan Minnesota New York Ohio Oklahoma Pennsylvania Texas Tuskegee Washington

Section 5Verify source

The supplied text does not clearly state a rule; it only includes a fragment mentioning a degree in Veterinary Science and the Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1964.

6. A degree in Veterinary Science granted by the University of Zambia. By Laws.Africa and contributors. Licensed under CC-BY. Share widely and freely. 6 Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1964 (Chapter 243) Zambia Repealed

Section 6Verify source

§ 7Unregistered persons prohibited from practising ............................................................................................................................... 2Repeal

The text lists veterinary science degrees and diplomas from specified authorities, and gives form text for applying for registration and for a registration certificate.

7. A degree or diploma in Veterinary Science (State Examination) granted by any of the following authorities: (a) University of Berne; (b) University of Gieseen; (c) University of Utrecht; (d) University of Vienna; (e) University of Zurich; (f) Veterinary College of Berlin; (g) Veterinary College of Hanover; (h) Veterinary College of Munich; (i) Karl Marx University at Leipzig; (j) National Veterinary School of Alfort; (k) National Veterinary School of Lyon; (l) National Veterinary School of Toulouse; (m) Royal Veterinary and Agricultural College, Copenhagen; (n) Ukrainian Academy of Agricultural Science, Kiev; (o) Royal Swedish Veterinary College, Stockholm; (p) Royal Norwegian Veterinary College, Oslo. Third Schedule (Section 10 (1)) Application for registration as a veterinary surgeon The Director of Veterinary Service, The Board of Veterinary Surgery, P.O. Box RW60, Lusaka I _____________________________________________________________________________ (full name) of ____________________________________________________________________________ hereby make application for registration as a veterinary surgeon. My qualiﬁcations are ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I enclose a certiﬁed true copy of the following degree diploma: ___________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ By Laws.Africa and contributors. Licensed under CC-BY. Share widely and freely. 7 Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1964 (Chapter 243) Zambia Repealed ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date ___________________________ Signature _________________________________________________ [As amended by Act No. 18 of 1975] Fourth Schedule (Section 10 (4)) Certiﬁcate of registration as a veterinary surgeon __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ is hereby registered as a veterinary surgeon under section 10 (4) of the Veterinary Surgeons Act. GIVEN at Lusaka this _____________________________________ day of _______________________ 19 _______ __________________________________________________ Director of Veterinary Services [As amended by Act No. 18 of 1975] By Laws.Africa and contributors. Licensed under CC-BY. Share widely and freely. 8

Section 7Verify source

Legislative relationships

2 referenced instruments

Names are derived from the stored provision headings and citation-enrichment layer. Treat this as a research index and verify each relationship against the source text.

A–F

1 instrument

Board It shall be the function of the Board to hold inquiries for the purpose of this Act
Section 6

T–Z

1 instrument

Zambia. By Laws.Africa and contributors. Licensed under CC-BY. Share widely and freely. 6 Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1964
Section 6

Recorded versions and source checkpoint

1 version available in this collection

Current-law checkpoint

Undated version · currentEnglish

This relationship view does not by itself establish whether another instrument remains in force.

Check official source

Source-linked research

Ask AI about this statute

The overview, provisions, and source records above are public. Continue in a separate conversation with this statute’s jurisdiction and source version attached.

Explore more