Cap. 12 Art. 519GAAppointment of support persons from the State pool.

(1) The Minister responsible for the Rights of Persons with Disability shall appoint a pool of support persons as he may deem fit, consisting of, advocates, legal procurators, health and inter alia, social care professionals, including social workers and occupational therapists and other experts, as well as the Chief Executive Officer of the Victim Support Agency or his representatives, to perform the duties of support persons:

Provided that such persons shall be knowledgeable and, or trained about the needs and experiences of persons with disability and, or of older persons, and about different social identities, including gender, age, sexual orientation or ethnic origin, which such persons might have:

Provided further that recommendations in respect of possible members of the pool may be made to the Minister responsible for the rights of persons with disability, for the consideration of the said Minister, by activists working in the field of human rights, as well as by organisations representing such activists, including by activists and organisations working on the rights of persons with disability and of older persons.

(2) A list of the members of the pool appointed as aforesaid shall be published in the Gazette.

(3) The Board shall ensure that a support person appointed according to the provisions of this article would suit the needs of the particular personal autonomy safeguard application in respect of which said appointment would be effected.

(4) The provisions of articles 519F, 519G (1), (2), (4) and (5), 519H, 519I and 519J relating to functions, duties and responsibilities of support persons shall mutatis mutandis apply to the State pool of support persons.

(5) A support person appointed according to the provisions of this article shall be entitled to such remuneration as the Board specifies in the order appointing said person as a support person, with said remuneration to be drawn from the estate of the person being accorded personal autonomy safeguards, or otherwise financed by the State.

(6) In case of misconduct, negligence or any reasonable objection to any person selected to perform the duties of support person, the Board shall have the power to remove him from the case and to appoint another support person from the pool in his stead:

Provided that said actions undertaken by the Board shall be without prejudice to any other civil or criminal actions available at law and that the Board may deem appropriate to pursue in respect of the support person, in light of the specific circumstances of the case.