Preamble
Post mortem angiography has the potential to significantly increase the quality of post mortem diagnostics and the evaluation of the cause of death. This may ultimately decrease opposition against post mortem examinations in the public, anesthetist increase the number of cases in which a cause of death can be established with confidence and finally strengthen public welfare by improving the understanding of processes leading to or associated with death.
TWGPAM (Technical Working Group Post mortem Angiography Methods) is an international association dedicated to research in the field of post mortem angiography. Its aim is to cooperatively develop, cheap evaluate and validate methods for post mortem angiography as well as to facilitate and promote its widespread application.
To strengthen a neutral scientific perspective, TWGPAM may associate itself with other associations but must remain organizationally independent.
Article 1: Structure
The structure of TWPAM is democratic. The group has no formal leader. It elects a secretary and a treasurer from among its members as legal representatives. Its legal form is that of a simple society according to Swiss legislation (Art. 530 et seqq., Swiss civil code, code of obligations), based at the CURML in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Article 2: Membership
a) Full members of TWGPAM are organizations dedicated to promoting the groups purpose.
Full membership prerequisites are:
(1) Dedication to the groups purpose
(2) Practical ability to perform post mortem angiography, including
i. personnel trained in post mortem angiography (generally including a Radiologist, a Forensic Pathologist and a Radiographer)
ii. equipment necessary to perform post mortem angiography including regular access to a CT scanner or other imaging modality
(3) Willingness to participate in multi center studies and to share data on post mortem angiography
(4) Participation of a representative of each member at TWGPAM meetings
b) Each full member or associated member names one corresponding person which is responsible for all communication with TWGPAM.
c) Organizations not actively performing post mortem angiography (e.g. private companies) can become associated members. Associated members are not required to be able to perform post mortem angiography or participate in studies. They have no right to vote, no control over research data, its evaluation and publication but share the remaining membership rights and obligations.
d) Organizations interested in joining TWGPAM which fulfill the prerequisites can freely apply to become a full member or an associated member. TWGPAM full members decide about the application by a vote at the following meeting. If no representative of the applying organization is present at this TWGPAM meeting, the application is automatically declined.
e) Full members and associated members are free to leave TWGPAM at any time. They remain obliged to assist in finishing ongoing projects of the group which they had formerly agreed to support. Members who have left TWGPAM are not permitted to use data obtained from TWGPAM projects in a way that contradicts the group?s purpose.
f) Full members and associated members can be excluded from TWGPAM if they fail to fulfill the respective membership prerequisites for a significant amount of time. Before exclusion can take effect, the full member or associated member concerned needs to be warned to comply with the respective requirements within a reasonable amount of time, at least three months. The exclusion takes effect immediately after the successful vote that a member has failed to comply with the respective requirements in the period set forth in the warning decision.
Article 3: Membership Fees
a) The business period is the calendar year.
b) Each full member is required to pay a yearly membership fee of 250,- ?.
c) Each associated member is required to pay a yearly membership fee of 2500,- ?.
d) Fees are due by 1st December for the following calendar year, beginning 1st December 2014 for the year 2015.
e) If a member leaves or is excluded from TWGPAM, membership fees for the ongoing year are not reimbursed.
f) Fees are used primarily to cover expenses for the organization of TWGPAM meetings. Funds may only be spent on other TWGPAM projects after explicit authorization by a vote of the assembly.
g) TWPAM is required to issue a detailed report of its financial status, fees and spendings by the end of March for the preceding year. The report is distributed to all corresponding persons and discussed at the subsequent TWGPAM meeting.
Article 4: Assembly
a) Meetings of TWGPAM are held on a regular basis, at least once per year. Meeting dates need to be announced at least two months in advance. The physical attendance of at least one representative of each full member and associated member is requested.
b) The agenda of the next meeting is distributed to the corresponding person of each full member and associated member no later than one week before the scheduled meeting date.
c) Each question of relevance to TWGPAM can be brought forward by any full member or associated member to be put on the agenda of the next meeting no later than two weeks before the scheduled meeting date.
d) Within a reasonable delay after each meeting a protocol of the meeting and all decisions taken is sent to each corresponding person.
Article 5: Decisions
a) Each question of relevance to TWGPAM can be brought forward by any full member or associated member to be put on the agenda of a TWGPAM meeting and be decided by a vote.
b) Each full member organization has one vote.
c) Decisions require the majority of the issued votes of the attending full members.
d) A decision can only take effect, if at least one third of all full members are present at the vote.
e) The decision to exclude a full member or associated member, as well as the decision if a full member or associated member warned to be excluded has succeeded or failed to fulfill the prerequisites in the given time, require the positive vote (i.e. not counting abstentions) of two thirds of all remaining full members and associated members.
f) The membership of a full member or associated which does not pay the membership fee is automatically suspended until all outstanding fees are paid in full.
g) Urgent decisions can be taken outside of TWGPAM meetings if an agreement between all full members and associated members concerned is reached. This is not applicable to decisions regarding elections of secretary or treasurer and exclusion of a member or associated member.
Article 6: Secretary
The secretary of TWGPAM is elected for two calendar years. He or she is responsible for all matters related to the organization of TWGPAM, e.g.
? communication with the corresponding persons
? draft, finalization, and distribution of the meeting protocols
? planning of future meetings including drafting and distribution of the agenda
He or she is the primary legal representative of TWGPAM.
In urgent cases, the Secretary may act in place of the Treasurer, if the latter is unavailable.
Article 7: Treasurer
The Treasurer of TWGPAM is elected for two calendar years. He or she is responsible for all matters related to the financial organization of TWGPAM including authority over the TWGPAM bank account and the yearly financial report of TWGPAM. The Treasurer is the secondary legal representative of TWGPAM.
Any monetary transaction is bound by these statutes and the TWGPAM principles. TWGPAM funds shall primarily be used to finance the TWGPAM meetings. Transactions exceeding the remaining funds of TWGPAM or its yearly budget as well as transactions not in conjunction with TWGPAM meetings need to be authorized by the assembly.
In urgent cases, the Treasurer may act in place of the Secretary, if the latter is unavailable.
Article 8: Liquidation
In case of liquidation of TWGPAM, all funds remaining after subtraction of all obligations are transferred to a non-profit organization with a similar or related purpose.
Article 9: Severability
If any provision of these statutes is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, under any applicable enactment or rule of law, such illegality, invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the remainder of these statutes, and the assembly shall in good faith attempt to substitute a legal, valid and enforceable provision which achieves to the nearest extent possible the same effect as would have been achieved by the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision.
Article 10: Validity
These statutes become effective on 21.06.2015. They cannot be changed except by a vote of two thirds of all full members.
