I have just been told I am not welcome at the ECU convention in Portugal.
Some of the grounds for discriminating against certain groups of chiropractors are
The ECU Convention is open to all members of ECU member associations. In addition it is also open to:
• European non-ECU member chiropractors and other relevant professionals provided that the host country, the association of their home country and the ECU are in agreement on their attending.
• Colleagues from other than ECU member countries at the discretion of the Executive Council at the price applicable to ECU members.
Attendance shall be denied to any chiropractor who has been expelled from a Union Member.
What the ECU does not seem to realise is that the chiropractor could have been expelled from the BCA after gross abuses of their human rights.
The chiropractors right to full disclosure of any evidence being presented against them at a disciplinary hearing and their right to a fair and open hearing is not guarenteed by the BCA constitution.
I resigned from the BCA because I was not informed that the husband (David Byfield) of a member of the BCA council presented untrue information to support charges against me to a BCA disciplinary committee hearing. This was a flagrant abuse of human rights law. When it was pointed out to the BCA president Barry Lewis his legal advise was “ as a small “private members club” it was not necessary to incorporate human rights law into their constitution. I believe the only reason I was found not guilty was because I told the BCA council before they deliberated that I would take them to the High Court if I did not like their decision regarding David Byfields complaint.
In another case where the BCA fined a chiropractor £3,000 and took him to the small claims court when he refused to pay the fine. The judge pointed out that he could only enforce the fine but commented that the BCA had “breeched the defendants human rights” with the process and advised the defendant to appeal to a higher court. He did not have the money to do it.
The “private club” get out of jail card, will only apply until someone’s challenges a BCA decision in the high court. Then they will be told they have to respect human rights law. Now the ECU is supporting their use of reprehensible methods to obtain convictions against chiropractors they don’t like, by excluding these chiropractors from their convention. I wonder what the EU commissions view on this will be. Or for that matter other EU member associations.
I cannot believe other ECU members accept the expulsion of chiropractors from the BCA using methods fascist dictators have exploited to great effect in the past.
I have sent the following letter to the ECU president Philippe Druard.
Dear Philippe,
I am not able to attend the ECU convention in May because I am not a member of the BCA. A chiropractor could also be excluded if they had been expelled from the BCA. What I don’t think you or ECU member states are aware is that a chiropractor could have been expelled from the BCA after gross abuses of their human rights in the BCA disciplinary process.
A chiropractors right to full disclosure of any evidence being presented against them at a disciplinary hearing and their right to a fair and open hearing is not guaranteed by the BCA constitution. I resigned from the BCA because I was not informed that the husband (David Byfield) of a member of the BCA council presented untrue information to support charges against me to a BCA disciplinary committee hearing. This was a flagrant abuse of human rights law. When this was pointed out to the BCA president Barry Lewis by me, his legal advise was “ as a small “private members club” it was not necessary to incorporate human rights law into their constitution.
Yes I have a big mouth but surely you don’t believe these disgraceful methods are acceptable because they don’t like what someone has to say. I am sure the only reason I was found not guilty was because I told the BCA council before they deliberated that I would take them to the High Court if I did not like their decision regarding David Byfields complaint.
In another case the BCA fined a chiropractor £3,000 and took him to the small claims court when he refused to pay. The judge pointed out that he had to enforce the fine but commented that the BCA had “breeched the defendants human rights” with the process and advised the defendant to appeal to a higher court. He did not have the money to do it. This chiropractor would also be unable to attend your convention.
The “private club” get out of jail card, will only apply until someone’s challenges a BCA decision in the high court, then they will be told they have to respect human rights law in their disciplinary procedures. Now the ECU is supporting the BCA’s use of reprehensible methods to obtain convictions against chiropractors they don’t like, by excluding these chiropractors from their convention. I wonder what the EU commissions view on this will be. I cannot believe other ECU members accept the expulsion of chiropractors from the BCA using methods fascist dictators have exploited to great effect in the past.
I understand the rational for having only one home association is to prevent divisions like they have in America however it is the BCA that is creating the divisions in the UK. They are happy to abuse chiropractors rights to silence them. Think for a moment, I graduated from AECC, I was a popular student president for two years. In 2004 I graduated from Brunel University with a masters in public health. I am not affiliated to any chiropractic association because I believe there should be only one association in a country however I can not be a member of an association that does not respect the human rights of its members. So Philippe now you know the facts, are you the ECU president advising me to join the BCA to attend the convention.
I would claim to represent the standards of education and behavior the profession should strive for. For the ECU support the BCA on this issue if anything it will damage the image of the Chiropractic profession in Europe and make the likelihood of an alternative ECU more likely. I implore of you to reconsider your decision on this.
Yours sincerely.
Richard Lanigan
