Irishhealth.com
March 1, 2002

Medical Council will publish Woods report
By Fergal Bowers

In a surprise development, the Medical Council has now decided that it will publish the report of the inquiry into Dr Moira Woods, found guilty of professional misconduct in respect of 13 of 55 allegations in relation to the diagnosis of alleged child sexual abuse.

It follows legal action by one of the families involved.

Earlier this month, the Medical Council, in a letter to the five families involved in the unprecedented case said that 'there is no entitlement to publish the report'. In issuing an individualised copy of the report to each of the five families involved in the case, the Council also directed that the reports be treated 'on a strictly private and confidential basis'.

However, the decision to make the report public follows legal action by one of the families in the High court this week. After being put on notice of the legal action, set to be heard next Monday, the Council has now said that it will make the report public

Last Tuesday, one of the families involved in the case went before Mr Justice Robert Barr in the High Court, the judge who heard the original challenge to have the inquiry held in private. At the time he also gave the Council permission to publish the report at the conclusion of the inquiry, with the names of the parents and children kept private.

This week in the High Court, he granted one of the families permission to seek an order directing the Medical Council to publish the report of the inquiry. That application for publication was due to be heard next Monday - at the same time as the Medical Council is scheduled to seek High Court confirmation of the finding and penalty against Dr Woods, a standard procedure in all misconduct cases.

The family is also seeking discovery of transcripts not released by the Council (concerning its private debate on the inquiry report and what penalty should apply), an order seeking the lifting of the anonymity ruling in relation to the families and the return of all documents tendered in evidence relating to the families