Alain Colignon’s defense brief

On Tuesday, December 7, Kairos was present to cover the appearance of Dr. Alain Colignon before the Appeals Council of the Order of Physicians. While long debates were expected, the President of the Council raised a procedural issue that should invalidate the decision of the Provincial Council of Hainaut, which had sentenced the doctor to two years of interdiction to practice. The defense lawyer was therefore unable to argue the merits of the case, but did raise two key points: 

1. The grievances against Dr. Colignon concern political and ethical principles and are therefore not within the competence of the Ordre des médecins. 

2. The law on whistleblowers, a European directive recently translated into Belgian law, which would protect Dr. Colignon, if he were recognized as such, against any disciplinary or criminal proceedings, but which would also allow him to lodge a complaint and prosecute those who would harm him by their words or actions. 

Dr. Alain Colignon and his lawyer would like this defense brief to be distributed as widely as possible. It is indeed an exhaustive analysis of this political crisis Covid-19.