Last week, Mr Justice Collins cleared Professor Sir Roy Meadow ofprofessional misconduct, quashing the decision of the regulatory body,the General Medical Council. He also ruled that expert witnesses givingopinions in court in good faith should be immune from prosecution bytheir own professional bodies.
Professor Sir Alan Craft, president of the Royal College of Paediatricsand Child Health, said the move would mark a "watershed" in theprofession's morale, which plummeted following the public discreditingof Meadow, the royal college's former president.
He said: "It's a hugely important decision and reinterpretation of thelaw. For the last 250 years, experts have been immune from beingprosecuted in court cases. This will extend that protection todisciplinary bodies. We expect it to restore paediatricians' confidencein the system."
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