s 10 Filling of vacancies
10.—(1) The office of a member becomes vacant if the member —(a) dies; (b) resigns his or her office; (c) becomes subject to any of the disqualifications in section 9, unless (in the case of the disqualification in section 9(1)(a)) the Minister has waived the disqualification in respect of the member; or (d) has his or her appointment revoked before the expiry of the term for which he or she has been appointed. (2) The Minister may remove from office any member who is absent without leave of the Council from 3 consecutive meetings of —(a) the Council; (b) any committee of the Council (including a Complaints Committee, a Disciplinary Tribunal, a Health Committee or an Interim Orders Committee) of which he or she is a member; or (c) any professional board appointed under section 12 of which he or she is a member. (3) Any question as to whether a person has ceased to be a member is to be determined by the Minister whose decision is final. (4) If any vacancy arises among the appointed members, the Minister may appoint a person to fill the vacancy in the manner in which the appointment to the vacant office was made, and that person is to hold office for as long as the member in whose place he or she was appointed would have held office. (5) No act done by or under the authority of the Council is invalid in consequence of any defect that is afterwards discovered in the appointment or qualification of the members or any of them.