Section 51: Establishment of the Investigating Panel.

(1) There is established the Advertising Practice Investigating Panel (in this Act referred to as “the Investigating Panel”) which is charged with the responsibility for -
(a)
conducting preliminary investigation into any alleged case of professional misconduct against a registered person or licensed organisation, who acted in his or its capacity as such, or any other reason be the subject of proceedings before the Disciplinary Committee ; and
(b) deciding whether an investigated case should be referred to the Disciplinary Committee or the Tribunal.
(2) The Investigating Panel is made up of five members and is composed of-
(a) a Chairman who shall be an advertising and marketing communications practitioner of at least 15 years with cognate experience ;
(b) other members who shall be representative of the relevant advertising, advertisement and marketing communications industry, and whose composition shall at any given case, put into consideration the area of advertising practice involved; and
(c) an assessor, to be appointed by the Council, who shall be legal practitioners with at least 10 years experience and possess sufficient knowledge in advertising, advertisement and marketing communications matters.
(3) The Chairman of the Investigating Panel may constitute a panel of three from its members whenever he deems it necessary for the purpose of exercising the jurisdiction vested in the Investigating Panel by this Act or any other Act provided that-
(a) a member presiding as Chairman of any panel shall be a licensed advertising and marketing communications practitioner ; and
(b) for the purpose of this Act, the sitting of any of such Investigating Panel shall be deemed a constitution of the Investigating Panel.
(4) Second Schedule.
The provisions of the Second Schedule to this Act shall, in so far as is applicable to the Investigating Panel, have effect with respect to it.
(a) a member presiding as Chairman of any panel shall be a licensed advertising and marketing communications practitioner ; and
(b) for the purpose of this Act, the sitting of any of such Investigating Panel shall be deemed a constitution of the Investigating Panel.
(c) The provisions of the Second Schedule to this Act shall, in so far as is applicable to the Investigating Panel, have effect with respect to it.