Meadow fights striking off by GMC

Sir Roy denied serious professional misconduct

Professor Sir Roy Meadow is appealing against last month's General Medical Council decision to strike him off.

The GMC found the paediatrician guilty of serious professional misconduct over evidence given in the trial of Sally Clark, accused of murdering her sons.

The High Court will be able to rule on the case or return it to the GMC.

Mrs Clark's 1999 conviction for murdering her two sons was quashed in 2003. The GMC later said evidence given by Sir Roy had been misleading.

The GMC panel said it was vital the public had confidence in experts brought before court and that was why the 72-year-old had to be struck off, rather than be given a lesser penalty.

During Mrs Clark's trial, Sir Roy said the probability of two natural unexplained cot deaths in the family was 73 million to one.

MEADOW CASES Sally Clark: Served three years after being wrongly convicted of killing her two sons Angela Cannings: Served 18 months after being wrongly convicted of killing her two sons Donna Anthony: Served six years after being wrongly convicted of killing her son and daughter Trupti Patel: Cleared of killing three of her children

The figure was later disputed by the Royal Statistical Society and other experts said that once genetic and environmental factors were taken into consideration, the odds were closer to 200 to one.

Sir Roy stood by his evidence, but admitted his use of statistics at the trial was "insensitive".

Mrs Clark was eventually freed after it became apparent that another witness at her trial, pathologist Alan Williams, had failed to disclose key medical evidence.

Sir Roy also gave evidence as an expert witness in the trials of two other women, Angela Cannings and Donna Anthony, who were both freed on appeal after being convicted of murdering their children.