Doctors demand right to rebel as GP suspended again over 'peaceful' protests

Doctors are demanding protection from actions by the UK medical watchdog after a GP was suspended over her climate change and animal rights protests.

Back in 2023, Dr Sarah Benn was arrested by police when she sprayed chalk on gates and a wall at Sequani Limited in Ledbury, a company involved in animal testing.

She was subsequently handed a community order for criminal damage and told not to enter Sequani Limited or go near it. Restrictions were also placed on her access to spray paint.

But the case followed previous criminal convictions, including time in jail for taking part in three Just Stop Oil protests — convictions which led to a five-month suspension by a medical tribunal.

Her latest actions have been condemned by the General Medical Council which recently told the medical tribunal that Dr Benn lacked insight, minimised the seriousness of her misconduct and used her position as a doctor to bring additional attention to climate change.

According to the BBC, Dr Benn said the case centred on the expectation that a doctor should uphold the law, but she said the exceptional circumstances of the climate emergency had compelled her to break the law.

She reportedly said her criminal act had posed no risk to others, did not affect her ability to practise medicine and was not dishonest, aggressive or deceitful, but was “motivated by conscience and a desire to make the world a kinder place”.

Doctors have now submitted a series of motions for this week’s British Medical Association (BMA) conference in Liverpool, asking it to back medical activists.

In regards to climate change, one motion said it was a clear public health emergency which justified non-violent direct action by doctors.

It also calls for “explicit protections within employment contracts … to ensure doctors do not face career detriment for engaging in non-violent climate advocacy”.

Another motion asks the BMA to refuse to take part in any disciplinary action against doctors convicted of “forms of civil disobedience which do not involve violence to the person”.

According to the BBC, Dr Benn had spent 32 years in clinical practice before resigning in 2022, however she has kept her medical registration.

In January this year, Dr Patrick Hart was jailed for a year for damaging 16 petrol pumps. As a result of a custodial sentence, he also faces an automatic referral to a medical tribunal.

Writing from his prison cell, the GP told AusDoc he had no regrets, and that “taking action on climate is about preventing harm, so I will only ever take peaceful action”.

More information: BMA: Annual representative meeting 2025 documents

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