Ethical versus Military Imperatives

Acting on the basis of a 'request' from the Minister for Defence, non-medical Military Authority directed a Medical Board tasked with determining the fitness or otherwise of an individual to continue in service by awarding an appropriate Medical Classification Code (MCC), not to convene despite the legitimacy of the Board's purpose.

The Director Medical Branch (DMB) was approached for advice on how the situation should be handled. His advice to military authority was that the Board process, being a medical intervention, should remain independent of external non-medical influences, and should be allowed to carry out its duties.

He remined military authority that the Minister retained the right to retain any individual in service irrespective of their awarded MCC. In this way, the ethical responsibilities of the medical board members would not be compromised.

Unfortunately, military authority did not accept the advice of DMB and issued an order to the Board not to Convene. The President of the Board approached the DMB for guidance.