A Lebanese-born doctor who was found guilty of professional misconduct in relation to advertising cosmetic services at his practice in Dundalk, Co Louth, has lodged a complaint of racial discrimination against the Medical Council.
Dr Samir Akhal made his complaint to the Equality Authority.
He alleges his "punishment" from the Medical Council for placing the advertisement for cosmetic services such as Botox treatments in a local newspaper was discriminatory. He was ordered to attend continuing medical education courses for two years after he was found guilty of professional misconduct in July 2001.
He claims the Medical Council was racist in the way it dealt with him because he claims it has not dealt in a similar manner with other Irish doctors who have advertised cosmetic services in a similar fashion.
He said he had submitted to the Medical Council copies of other similar advertisements he cut from magazines and newspapers but the council, he said, had failed to take any proper action against any of the other doctors who placed those adverts.
He said he felt that if his name was "Joe Murphy" he would not have been penalised in the same way.
The Medical Council's registrar, Mr Brian Lee, said all complaints submitted to the council were dealt with on their merits.
He said the council was precluded, however, from commenting on complaints made against other doctors. These would include the complaints Dr Akhal says he made against others who advertised.
Mr Lee added that the High Court had, following a legal challenge in 1984, found its procedures to be fair, reasonable and in accordance with natural justice. "We have operated on the same procedures since," he said.
Furthermore, he said, when the council attached conditions to a doctor's practice, as in Dr Akhal's case (the condition in his case being that he attend continuing education for two years), the decision had to be confirmed by the High Court.
Before that, however, the doctor had an opportunity to appeal the council's decision to the High Court.
"It's then for the courts to decide if it's right and proper to have imposed those conditions," he said.
"So at the end of the day the court is the final arbiter," he added.
The council's president, Prof Gerard Bury, said: "There is absolutely no basis whatsoever for the Medical Council being regarded as a racist or bigoted body. It deals with every case on the basis of the complaint made and would reject strongly that issues of race, colour or creed would influence our decisions."
Dr Akhal also claimed the punishment in his case did not fit his offence. He alleged that another doctor, who was found guilty on a serious ethical issue, was only given a book on ethical behaviour to read.
The council reiterated that each case was treated on its merits and it could not comment on other doctors' cases.
Asked about its investigation of the complaint, a spokesman for the Equality Authority said the authority did not comment on individual cases.