Sir, - Monica McEnroy's letter (April 25th) questioning my judgment on the Dr Leahy "euthanasia" affair implied that because the Medical Council had not acted on the complaint and because, following a discussion with the gardai which I described, I had withdrawn my complaint to the Director of Public Prosecutions, that my actions were inappropriate or even absurd. Neither is the case. Dr Leahy's claims of involvement in various episodes of "euthanasia" were reported widely in all of the Dublin newspapers over the past 15 months. Was it wrong to ask the DPP to investigate? He also stated that he knew many other doctors doing the same. Was it wrong to ask the Medical Council to seek clarification? If "Yes" is the answer to these questions then my judgment was certainly very poor. However, a "yes" answer implies that the law on euthanasia is no longer appropriate and is better ignored an opinion I reject.
It was probably good judgment to withdrawn the complaint to the DPP having made it, because two points were made publicly. Firstly, it established that someone on the medical register cares what other practitioners claim to be doing in the area of euthanasia, and secondly, no great purpose would be served to legally pursue somebody in their late 70s, especially when their claims seem grandiose. The complaint to the Medical Council was left active because that is the body charged with maintaining a register and protecting the public, and Dr Leahy remains on the register. Why they took no action is a matter for conjecture. Despite Ms McEvoy's contrary contention, my judgment on that issue is sound. The Medical Council can speak for itself. The rope I have been given has allowed me to firmly anchor this issue, not to use it in the manner suggested by your correspondent. - Yours, etc.,
Glasnevin Avenue,
Dublin 11.