24.—(1) The Council may establish committees consisting in whole or in part of persons who are members of the Council—

(a) to assist and advise the Council on matters relating to any of its functions or on such matters as the Council may from time to time determine, or

(b) to perform such functions of the Council as may be delegated to the committee from time to time.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the Council shall establish—

(a) a committee to be known as the Executive Committee to perform the functions conferred on it by section 26, and

(b) committees to be known, respectively, as—

(i) the Investigating Committee, and

(ii) the Disciplinary Committee,

to perform the functions conferred on those committees by Part 5.

F16[(2A) The Disciplinary Committee shall, for the purpose of carrying out its function under section 43(1), sit in divisions of itself (each division in this Act referred to as a "panel") established under subsection (3) of that section.]

(3) The acts of a committee (other than the Investigating Committee or Disciplinary Committee) and the exercise by a committee of functions delegated to it under this section or, in the case of the Executive Committee, under section 26, shall be subject to confirmation by the Council, unless the Council otherwise determines.

(4) Members of a committee—

(a) shall be appointed subject to such terms and conditions, and

(b) may be paid, by the Council, such allowances for expenses incurred by them in the discharge of their functions,

as the Council, subject to the consent of the Minister, may determine.

(5) The Council may, subject to this Act, determine the terms of reference and regulate, by standing orders or otherwise, the procedures and business of a committee, including, subject to subsection (8), the filling of casual vacancies, but, subject to any such regulation, a committee may regulate its own procedures.

(6) A committee F17[(other than the Executive Committee or Investigating Committee)] shall appoint, from time to time, a chairperson from among its members.

(7) A member of a committee may be removed by the Council at any time for stated reasons.

(8) Where, in the case of the Executive Committee, Investigating Committee or Disciplinary Committee, a casual vacancy occurs among its members, the Executive Committee shall appoint a person to fill such a casual vacancy and the person—

(a) shall be appointed in the same manner as the member of the committee who occasioned the casual vacancy, and

(b) shall hold office for the remainder of the term of office of that member.

(9) (a)  Subject to paragraph (b), the Council may at any time dissolve a committee established by it under this section.

(b)  Where the Executive Committee, Investigating Committee or Disciplinary Committee is dissolved under paragraph (a), such committee shall be re-established as soon as practicable.

(10) When establishing a committee the Council shall have regard to the desirability of an appropriate gender balance as may be determined, from time to time, by the Minister.

(11) A committee shall provide the Council with such information as it may from time to time require, in respect of its activities and operation, for the purposes of the performance of the functions of the Council.