The British Medical Council said the organisation is “disappointed” with High Court judgment on Dr Sarah Benn appeal.
We previously reported reported on the case of Benn v General Medical Council [2025] EWHC 87 (Admin) that involved Dr. Sarah Benn’s appeal against the Medical Practitioner’s Tribunal’s (MPT) decision to suspend her from the medical register for five months.
The MPT’s decision was based on findings that the appellant doctor’s fitness to practice was impaired through misconduct due to her participation in Just Stop Oil protests, which led to her breaching a High Court injunction and resulting in her imprisonment.
The High Court, presided over by Mrs. Justice Yip, upheld the MPT’s decision. The court ruled that the Tribunal’s findings of misconduct were supported by evidence and that the decision to suspend was justified. The court emphasized the seriousness of dishonesty in the medical profession and the need to protect public safety.
Responding to the High Court’s judgment, BMA representative body chair Dr Latifa Patel said:
“This judgment is naturally disappointing and will be very worrying for doctors who want to express their real and urgent concern about the climate crisis.
“The climate crisis is a health crisis and doctors regularly see the impact of changing temperatures and worsening pollution on their patients. They feel immensely helpless.
“Doctors, like everyone, may be expected to adhere to the law, but we all know that there are circumstances in which a law can be unjust. We are very concerned that the GMC, which has recently apologised for the way in which it struck off gay doctors who had broken unjust laws as recently as the 1980s, appears not to have learnt and reflected on this.
“Taking part in peaceful protest does not impact a doctor’s ability to practise medicine. The GMC needs to take a far more flexible and pragmatic approach.
“Dr Benn is being punished twice for the same thing – and something that bears no influence on her clinical skills, ability or safety.
“We will now be carefully considering the tribunal full judgment and any next steps, including grounds to appeal.”
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