Climate protest doctor’s fitness to practise ‘impaired’, tribunal rules

Just Stop Oil

By Sarah Lowden

A doctor from the West Midlands, who repeatedly broke the law while taking part in Just Stop Oil protests, is facing possible sanctions after a tribunal ruled her “fitness to practise was impaired by reason of misconduct”.

Dr Sarah Benn, 57, was a GP for 32 years in Birmingham until stopping clinical work in April 2022. Since then she has devoted her time to environmental activism and voluntary work.

A Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing has concluded that her involvement in peaceful demonstrations in 2022 with the environmental activist group Just Stop Oil amounted to misconduct and her fitness to practise was impaired as a result.

Dr Benn participated in JSO protests on three occasions during 2022 within a prohibited buffer zone at Kingsbury Oil Terminal in Warwickshire in breach of an injunction.

The tribunal heard the injunction "prohibited a number of named individuals, as well as 'persons unknown', from participating in protests against the production and use of fossil fuels at the Terminal".