A High Court judge has agreed to suspend a doctor’s Irish Medical Council (IMC) registration after the man was charged in the UK with offences related to alleged possession of indecent images of children.
The doctor is a resident of the UK and practised there, but his licence to practise was removed earlier this year.
He has never practised in Ireland, despite his registration with the IMC.
The IMC asked the High Court to suspend the doctor’s registration in the State after it became aware of the allegations against him.
RM Block
Earlier this year, the doctor was charged by police in the UK with offences including possession of 19 “extreme images” and the “making” of 146 Category A images of children. Category A covers the most serious images.
The doctor, who cannot be identified, strenuously denies the allegations.
In a recently published judgment, High Court president Mr Justice David Barniville said he was satisfied the interest of public safety favoured granting the orders sought by the IMC to suspend the doctor’s registration.
Mr Justice Barniville said it was “hard to imagine” more serious allegations than those faced by the doctor. The judge said, though, he was not making any finding in relation to the charges.
In coming to his decision, the judge weighed the doctor’s constitutional rights, including his right to earn a livelihood and the right to a good name.
The judge accepted the IMC’s argument that not much weight should be attached to the doctor’s right to earn a living in the State in circumstances where he has never sought to practise medicine in this jurisdiction.
The judge also said he did not believe the doctor’s right to a good name should “trump the need to ensure that the public is protected in this jurisdiction”.
When the doctor filed a registration retention form with the IMC for 2024, the doctor answered “no” to a question asking whether he was aware of any criminal investigation against him.
By the time he filed the form, the doctor had already been arrested and interviewed by police.
Hugh McDowell, for the IMC, had told the court the doctor had provided no explanation for why he answered so.
In October 2023, police received information that six indecent images of children were uploaded to the internet using a Google account it said was linked to the doctor.
He was arrested and various devices were seized from his address. Police uncovered further images on these devices, including the Category A images, the court heard.
