DR AMIT PATEL v SINGAPORE DENTAL COUNCIL

Case Significance

Amit Patel v Singapore Dental Council [2024] SGHC 188 was a single judgment delivered on 24 July 2024 (reserved after a hearing on 19 March 2024) by Hoo Sheau Peng J in the General Division of the High Court, in Originating Application No 775 of 2023, brought under s 41(7) of the Dental Registration Act. The catchwords cover Professions — Dentistry and dental practice — Professional conduct. The matter arose from a Singapore Dental Council Disciplinary Committee inquiry against Dr Amit Patel, a Division 1 dentist registered with the Council.

The judgment recorded that the Disciplinary Committee had found Dr Patel guilty of five charges of professional misconduct under s 40(1)(d) of the Dental Registration Act 1999 (Cap 76, 2009 Rev Ed) for failing to supervise Dr Low Ee Lyn, a dentist conditionally registered under s 14A of the Act, and that, pursuant to s 40(2), the Committee ordered a suspension of 15 months and imposed a penalty of $30,000. On appeal, Hoo Sheau Peng J dismissed Dr Patel's appeal against conviction but allowed his appeal against the orders. The judgment noted that, around August 2015, Dr Patel commenced work with the Malo Clinic Nuffield Dental Clinic (Serangoon Gardens), one of the clinics within the Nuffield group, with Dr Samintharaj Kumar in charge of the clinic's operations. The appellant was represented by counsel including N Sreenivasan from K&L Gates Straits Law LLC and Charles Lin LLC, and the respondent by Kronenburg Edmund Jerome of Braddell Brothers LLP.