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