Cops called as Royal Australasian College of Physicians brawl escalates

Charity regulator ACNC has finally intervened in Australia’s most tumultuous corporate governance battle, the battle for control of the Doctors’ peak body, the RACP. Stephanie Tran reports.

Last week RACP members voted to sack chair Prof Jennifer Martin at an extraordinary meeting amid dramatic scenes in which NSW Police were called.

Internal correspondence he sees MWMIt reveals attempts to delay the vote and debates over whether to recognize the result.

This vote was made by the newly elected president, Dr. It marks a dramatic turning point in the months-long power struggle at the university following a series of failed attempts to oust Sharmila Chandran.

The cables describe a chaotic lead-up to the meeting, including disagreements over who should preside over the hearings and senior management directing the general counsel not to attend.

General counsel said they were asked to leave the EGM rehearsal in front of staff and external contractors, which they described as a “difficult and humiliating request” given their role in overseeing governance processes.

It also states that police attended the building that day to deal with disruptions, and that the president-elect presided over the meeting remotely after leaving the room due to security concerns.

Reportedly, all remaining executives, including the president, left the meeting hall after the hearings began, and an attempt was made to postpone the meeting without constitutional permission.

In a separate correspondence sent after the meeting, the university’s chief executive told staff that “the validity of the meeting and alleged outcomes are under review” and that business would continue under existing governance arrangements, with the current president remaining in office.

The directive instructs staff not to make changes to administrative records, communications or regulatory filings without manager approval and warns that failure to comply may result in disciplinary action.

The legal officer raises concerns about the legality of this position, stating that staff are “legally obliged to enforce members’ decisions until overruled by a court or regulator”.

MWM He understands the ACNC has called a meeting with the remaining executives to “seek clarity” on how they plan to resolve the internal dispute.

Whistleblower urges ASIC to intervene as RACP crisis deepens