Higher fines: Knowingly spreading VD to cost perps more

The government is moving to dramatically increase the fines for breaches of 22 pieces of legislation related to medical care and connected issues.

With many of the laws dating back decades, the fines now on the books are as low as $1 for breaches of the Leprosy Act, and $40 for a breach of the Marriage Act.

But yesterday, the Senate approved a bill entitled "An Act to Amend Provisions Relating to Penalties and Monetary Obligations in Legislation Relating to Certain Health and Allied Professions and Services, and for Connected Matters."

Among those laws to be changed are the Venereal Disease Act where the fines for breaches are to be increased from $20 and $50 to $250,000 and $500,000.

According to Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Dorothy Lightbourne, the bill seeks to deter persons from purporting to provide medical, dental, nursing, and supportive services to the medical profession without being properly registered by the respective supervisory and regulatory bodies.

In addition, some archaic provisions such as a diet of bread and water as a penalty for a breach of the Leprosy Act have been discarded.