A retired UCD professor has won his Supreme Court challenge to an order requiring him to give evidence before the Laffoy Commission regarding vaccination trials on 58 children in 1960 and 1961.
The five-judge court today unanimously granted the appeal by Professor Patrick Meenan (86) against a High Court order upholding the Commission's direction to Prof Meenan to give evidence before its Vaccine Trials Division. Prof Meenan had said he should not have to appear on grounds of his age and ill-health.
The Commission was empowered by the Government under a Statutory Instrument of June 2001 to inquire into the conduct of the vaccination trials after some concerns were raised as to the ethical propriety of the trials. No allegation of wrongdoing has been made against Prof Meenan, the Commission has stressed.
In granting Prof Meenan's appeal, the Supreme Court held the Commission had not adhered to fair procedures in that, prior to requiring him to attend before it in public and given evidence about his involvement in the trials, it had declined to consider medical reports regarding Prof Meenan's health and, if necessary, arrange for an independent medical examination of him. It had also failed to at least consider his claim that he had no central role in the matters being inquired into.