Because of the Amazing Billy Bay, doctors are free to criticize vaccines. Or are they?

This movement needs fewer followers and more leaders. We also need more discernment and that's for sure!

The message above was sent to Facebook, and I decided on the spot that, though I had considered staying out of this whole Billy Bay adulation thing, I simply could not.

I won’t waste a lot of time on this, but I do have to say that I’m a bit gobsmacked at the people in our community who should be questioning everything - even when it comes from someone on side - but who take things at face value without thought or question.

This is not to say that Billy Bay did not have an incredible and inspirational win—he most certainly did, especially when he was self-represented.

But his victory was largely due to AHPRA's arrogance, ignorance and outright stupidity, not anything he did or said.

Though his victory means that he has gotten his medical registration back and that AHPRA is being left paying the bill for both Billy and the government (our money, don’t forget), Billy Bay again exaggerates the significance of his win.

He said that doctors can now say whatever they want with impunity, and I have to tell you that if they do that, many more doctors will be struck off!

Because this case was a judicial review. In other words, all the court did was look at whether an error had been made in law in Billy’s earlier cases. They did not consider or even look at the merits of his case.

In the Court’s Decision, the full text of which can be found at this link, they stated that (my emphasis added):

Dr Bay asked the Court to review decisions of the Board about matters that have been the subject of public discussion and debate. Nothing in this decision should be understood as the Court entering that debate. The Court is concerned only with whether the decision or the conduct was free from an error that goes to the decisionmaker’s authority to make the decision. The Court does not have any opinion on any argument about the substantive merits raised in public debate relating to any decision under review.

The court found that Billy Bay had been denied procedural fairness (which is the understatement of the century) and that neither AHPRA nor the Medical Board had considered any of his arguments before removing his license to practice medicine.

But there are so many out there who are taking this as read that they can now say vaccines are bad (which they are) as practitioners without suffering any consequences (they can’t). They believe that because Billy Bay has said it, and they are accepting his statement as fact when it is not.

None of that is true. The court never even looked at the gag orders being given to doctors.

This ruling should give heart to those who have been affected by AHPRA’s censorship and discrimination and by the various State Boards as well. It shows that there is a possibility of gaining justice through the court system - something I was really doubtful of after the AVN’s experience with the Federal and High Courts.

But it is only a first step - it is not the final one.

Doctors and health professionals would be very ill-advised to take Billy Bay’s word as gospel truth on this. As always, the ultimate responsibility is yours and yours alone. Seek advice from those who are knowledgable before putting your lives and your careers on the line.