Law and religion round-up – 10th September

Praying with patients?

Readers will no doubt be familiar with the case of Dr Richard Scott (whom we have mentioned before, here, for example), who was given a warning by the General Medical Council in June 2012 after a patient complained that Dr Scott had abused his position to push his religion upon him.

The BBC reports that in a similar complaint relating to a consultation in 2022 involving a 19-year-old man with a history of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a GMC tribunal sitting in Manchester has found that although the patient had consented to undertaking a spiritual discussion, Dr Scott “then overstepped the boundaries”. However, it concluded that “Dr Scott’s actions did not cross the high threshold required to be considered serious misconduct”.

“Religious” dress in French schools

We have already noted the ban on the abaya in French schools that came into force at the beginning of the new school year. Continue reading