Dr Jereth Kok's Defence Appeal

Goal:

 AUD $330,000

Raised:

 AUD $258,866

Campaign created by Supporters of Jereth

Campaign funds will be received by Jereth Kok

Dr Jereth Kok's Defence Appeal

Please support Jereth in a disciplinary case in a Victorian Tribunal where he could be stripped of his licence to practice medicine because of social media posts. Jereth has been suspended for 5 years awaiting trial. In July, Jereth finally faced a 5-day hearing. This will be followed by a hearing in mid-October where his lawyers will present submissions to defend his (and all Australian medical professionals’) freedom of speech and religious liberty.


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Victorian General Practitioner, Jereth Kok, a well-respected and competent medical professional with 15 years’ experience, was suspended by the Victorian Medical Board in 2019 after being targeted by an anonymous complainant. Jereth had never received a single complaint from any of his thousands of patients he had treated during his career. Yet, the Medical Board pursued selective complaints about Jereth’s social media posts discussing his personal beliefs on religious and political matters like abortion, marriage, Covid lockdowns and transgender ideology.

In August 2019, the Medical Board used its emergency powers to suspend Jereth in the “public interest” while they completed their investigation. For over 5 years, Jereth has been unable to practice medicine and support his family while he has awaited his day in Court.

After five years, Dr Kok will finally have his case heard in 2024. We must ensure that Jereth’s medical license is not cancelled. Jereth is being represented by the Human Rights Law Alliance, and an exceptional barrister team of Stephen Moloney assisted by Owen Wolahan, with expert evidence being provided by top experts on theology, clinical practice in gender medicine and Covid science. 

Your support is urgently needed to help Jereth and his team with the expenses of a multi-part trial.


Lead barrister, Stephen Moloney, said in his opening statement, “This is probably one of the most important cases that has ever been put to the Tribunal in the last 30 years. It goes to the democratic right of any practitioner in the State of Victoria to speak about matters of conscience, religion, and medical practice in the public square.” He added, “This is not about whether Dr Kok has practised medicine safely and effectively. This is about what he has said in the public square.”

This important case is being heard by a panel of three Tribunal members including two doctors. Evidence was given by the Medical Board, Dr Jereth Kok and five expert witnesses on topics such as:

  • The rights of doctors to oppose abortion;
  • The appropriateness of speaking about conscientious issues relating to vaccinations and the use of cells sourced from aborted babies;
  • The rights of doctors to speak about transgender ideology and LGBTQ+ politics; and
  • The boundaries of the role of a medical regulator to police personal religious and political positions on the internet.

Andrew Thorburn, Israel Folau, Margaret Court, J.K. Rowling and many other wonderful people have all been targeted and lost their jobs for expressing their beliefs on contentious social issues.

For Jereth personally, the last five years have been a trying ordeal. Notwithstanding the fact that as the sole provider for his young family, he was forced to retrain into a new career in order to support them, but he was devastated to be barred from work that he performed diligently and isolated from his patients and colleagues.

“The greatest difficulty at first was the sudden dislocation and uncertainty. Suddenly I had no job, no income, and was cut off from my patients and workplace. I experienced tremendous grief on many occasions, thinking about my many patients who I’d gotten to know so well over many years.”


Hear Jereth being interviewed here


Jereth has engaged the help of the Human Rights Law Alliance, a not-for-profit law firm specialising in religious freedom cases. HRLA will be working for Jereth on a heavily discounted basis. However experienced barristers and expert witnesses for Jereth’s case are expensive, and essential to run the best defence possible for Jereth and other medical practitioners.


Legal challenges are expensive. The Medical Board has Government funding behind it. Jereth can’t defend himself alone – He needs your help.


Pray and donate now

 

Please prayerfully consider this need.


All money raised will be put into a legal trust account to run Jereth’s case. Any leftover funds will be donated to the general work of HRLA.


Thank you.


"Hi, this is Jereth! Thank you for reading my story, and for your prayers and support. It’s important that my story is shared widely, so please share this page with others who can add their support."


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Updates

Three recent interviews

October 3rd, 2024

Jereth has recently done 3 interviews:

Lyle Shelton (ADH TV)

Alexandra Marshall (Spectator)

'Counter Culture' with Maree Buscke (Reality Check Radio)

Thank you to everyone who has kindly donated to this campaign.

Article in Spectator Australia

September 24th, 2024

Matthew Littlefield has written an article for The Spectator about Dr Kok's legal fight, titled On trial for Spectator Australia posts. It can also be read on Matt's substack.

"What do you think the punishment should be for a doctor to share Spectator articles online? Maybe a public flogging, followed by putting the perpetrator in stocks and pillory for 24 hours in the town square? What about the old tar and feather treatment?"

Rebekah Barnett article

September 11th, 2024

Rebekah Barnett (Dystopian Down Under) has written a thorough, and carefully researched article about Jereth's story from the beginning till now. It covers some of the trial proceedings from July.

Read Rebekah's article it here.

Bill Muehlenberg writes

September 2nd, 2024

Bill, author of CultureWatch, provides an update on Jereth's legal battle, and explains how AHPRA employed forensic investigators to search his blog to find ten-year-old dirt on Jereth.

https://billmuehlenberg.com/2024/08/31/update-on-the-persecution-of-dr-jereth-kok/

Key update on legal battle

August 26th, 2024

Good morning, and hello,

After almost five years of suspension from practice, we are finally able to give you an update on the Medical Board of Australia (Victoria) vs Dr Jereth Kok, the devoted family GP.

Last week, Dr Kok had his day in court when the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal heard allegations of misconduct brought by the Medical Board about Jereth’s internet posts dated between 2010 and 2021. For Jereth, his family, and supporters, this was the first chance for him to defend his right to speak publicly and freely about his personal religious and political convictions.

Dr Kok’s lead barrister, Stephen Moloney, said in his opening statement, “This is probably one of the most important cases that has ever been put to the Tribunal in the last 30 years. It goes to the democratic right of any practitioner in the State of Victoria to speak about matters of conscience, religion, and medical practice in the public square.” He added, “This is not about whether Dr Kok has practised medicine safely and effectively. This is about what he has said in the public square.”

HRLA is proud to represent Jereth in this continuing defence of his right to practice medicine and to exercise his freedom of speech.

This important case was heard by a panel of three Tribunal members including two doctors. Evidence was given by the Medical Board, Dr Jereth Kok and five expert witnesses on topics such as:


·            The rights of doctors to oppose abortion;
·            The appropriateness of speaking about conscientious issues relating to vaccinations and the use of cells sourced from aborted babies;
·            The rights of doctors to speak about transgender ideology and LGBTQ+ politics; and
·            The boundaries of the role of a medical regulator to police personal religious and political positions on the internet.

Jereth conceded that, on reflection, he used inappropriate language in some of his internet posts and he will avoid such words in the future. However, he maintained that he should have freedom to speak publicly on issues that are important to him and rejected the assertion that his posts might undermine confidence in the health profession.

Mr. Moloney said to the Tribunal, “what is not conceded is the democratic right of Doctor Kok and any other doctor to stand in the public square and express their opinions on abortion, on gender dysphoria, on gender identity, on multiculturalism, on the pandemic and the regulations as to the pandemic, on the vaccination. The possession of registration under the national law does not stop a doctor from speaking on those topics.”

On behalf of Dr Kok, thank you for your generous support to get his legal challenge this far.  We have been able to engage the best possible legal minds for the legal challenge, but it is not finished yet.

We are now preparing for the SECOND PHASE of the case; the opportunity for both parties to give their closing submissions to the tribunal, in mid-October.

The second phase of Dr Kok’s case, even with pro-bono and discounted fees, is expected to reach $110,000. Can you please consider contributing to this second and critical phase of Jereth’s legal challenge? We would be very grateful for your continued generosity.

Sandy Fuller
Philanthropy Executive
Human Rights Law Alliance

Interview with Daily Declaration

July 25th, 2024

Jereth was interviewed by Samuel Hartwich of the Daily Declaration.

Thank you to all the wonderfully generous people who have donated to this campaign so far.

CMDFA interview

July 15th, 2024

Jereth has done an interview with the Christian Medical and Dental Fellowship of Australia. There is a video version and a written version.

One of Jereth's legal team, John Steenhof also gave an interview which can be heard here.


New article by Kurt Mahlburg for the Daily Declaration

July 9th, 2024

Dr Jereth Kok to Stand Trial Following Five-Year Probe Into His Faith-Based Social Media Posts

Dr Jereth Kok has spent the last half-decade barred from practising family medicine while awaiting a verdict on whether his memes and internet opinions were permissible under Australia’s medical regime.

Former Victorian GP Dr Jereth Kok, who was indefinitely suspended in 2019 for expressing Christian viewpoints online, will stand trial next month following a lengthy, five-year investigation into his memes and other social media posts.

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) has scheduled...

Trial date

June 13th, 2024

The Human Rights Law Alliance, who will be defending Jereth, have announced that Jereth's trial date has been set for late July 2024.


Jereth speaks to Evelyn Rae

March 15th, 2022

Dr Jereth spoke to Evelyn Rae on the Caldron Pool show.

Watch their conversation



"An Update"

March 12th, 2022

Kurt Mahlburg from the Daily Declaration has written an update on Jereth\'s case, which will finally go to trial in 2022 after a 30 month delay.

An Update

Interview with Family First NZ

November 24th, 2021

Dr Jereth has done a Zoom interview with Aaron Ironside from Family First NZ
Active Intelligence: EP32
Article by Rod Lampard

October 17th, 2021

Rod Lampard of Caldron Pool has written an informative article about Dr Kok's plight.
The Firing of Australian Doctor for Social Media Posts Exemplifies the Political Takeover of Medicine
CultureWatch Radio

August 29th, 2021

Dr Jereth joined this week's episode of CultureWatch Radio, with Bill Muehlenberg. Listen to it here: Episode 33
Thank you

July 30th, 2021

Thanks to those who have donated so far.
Media

May 29th, 2021

A collection of media articles from the past year, about Dr Jereth's case. Dr Jereth spoke to Family Voice Australia in November.
 
Australian currency

May 9th, 2020

The folk at GiveSendGo have very kindly changed the currency of this fundraiser to Australian Dollars.
Martyn Iles discusses Dr Jereth's case

April 17th, 2020

Martyn Iles, managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby, has discussed Dr Jereth's case in this video.
Dr Jereth Kok - The Truth of It S6E03
Violence and genocide allegation

April 17th, 2020

The Medical Board has accused Dr Jereth of endorsing violence and genocide, on the basis of a distorted reading of blog comment from 2012. Dr David van Gend has written about this here.
Medical Board Suspends Christian Doctor, Falsely Accuses Him of Endorsing Genocide
Eternity News opinion piece

April 17th, 2020

John Sandeman, editor of Eternity News, has written on Jereth's case here.
Doctor suspended: when writing for Eternity is a thought crime

Prayer Requests

Click the Pray button to let the campaign owner know you are praying for them.

  • Please pray for Dr Jereth Kok and his legal team. Ask God to provide them with the finances, resources and expertise that they need.
  • Pray for Christian health workers, as they face a landscape that is increasingly hostile to faith. For eg. legalisation of euthanasia, and pressure to cooperate with "gender reassignments".
  • Pray that Australian Governments would prioritise the protection of religious adherents who speak on matters of faith and conscience.

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