A court dismissed an action filed by eight doctors contesting a decision by the Public Service Commission to revoke their appointment as general practitioner trainees.

The doctors had submitted an application to the commission to become GP trainees and had been appointed to the post on July 17 last year. But the commission then cancelled its acceptance the following day.

The doctors claimed this was unlawful and went beyond the powers of the commission. They asked the court to order the authorities to confirm their appointment.

The court, presided over by Mr Justice Joseph R Micallef, noted that the call for applications had been made for two separate posts.

This was incorrect, he said, and the commission was empowered to cancel any selections if the regulations were not observed.