On 8th December 2020 Ms Linda Lee, Solicitors’ Tribunal Advocate and Legal Chair Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, spoke on the above topic.
Ms Lee highlighted differences between the two processes. For example although both are concerned with maintaining public trust in the relevant profession (each Tribunal includes a lay member) the question for the Medical Panel is whether the doctor is fit to practice at the date of the Hearing. By contrast, the Solicitors Tribunal makes much use of the ultimate sanction of striking the solicitor off the Roll.
Health issues also attract more sympathy at the Medical Tribunal but in a recent case a Court decided that conduct of a solicitor whilst off duty should not justify a sanction.
Zoom viewers enjoyed a very interesting presentation with time for questions afterwards, and the Society wishes to express its thanks to Ms Lee.
The Leicestershire Medico-Legal Society 