Just a social media post? Doctors, think twice – your registration may be at stake

Dr Kok, a Melbourne medical practitioner, was referred to the Tribunal by the Medical Board after publishing a number of social media posts relating to abortion, LGBTQI+ and COVID-19 issues which degraded the conduct of other medical practitioners.

His registration was suspended, and he was later found to have engaged in professional misconduct.

In issue

• The Medical Board of Australia referred Dr Jereth Kok, general practitioner, to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal alleging that he engaged in professional misconduct by posting content which defamed medical practitioners. The Board alleged that his posts were critical of medical practitioners who provide abortions, recognise gender dysphoria and do not consider transgender people to be suffering from a mental health condition. The Board also alleged that his posts expressed views that were disrespectful towards certain racial and religious groups and that his social media content undermined COVID-19 public health orders and legitimised antivaccination rhetoric through misinformation.

The background

Dr Kok became a registered medical practitioner in 2003 and began training as a general practitioner in Melbourne in 2008. Dr Kok described himself as of the Christian religion and many of his sentiments were expressed on Christian websites but also on Facebook. The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) was first notified of Dr Kok’s conduct in 2017. Dr Kok’s registration as a medical practitioner was suspended by the Board in 2019.

The Board referred Dr Kok to the Tribunal, alleging that between 20 May 2010 and 15 October 2021, he posted anti-abortion content, by describing abortion as the murder of babies and referring to medical practitioners who provide abortion as 'butchers'. He also stated that body dysphoria should be treated as a psychiatric condition and not via what he labelled 'genital mutilation' and the 'sterilising disfigurement to healthy young bodies'. He further expressed his view that the transgender ideology is dangerous and that gender transition is unethical and harmful to people. In addition, Dr Kok compared the followers of public health policies during the COVID-19 pandemic to followers of totalitarian regimes such as Nazi Germany and the Taliban in Afghanistan. During the course of his evidence, he admitted that some of his posts denigrated other medical practitioners and fell short of the standards outlined in the medical profession’s codes of conduct.

These proceedings came before the Tribunal for hearing last year and the decision was handed down on 22 July 2025.

The decision at trial

The Tribunal found that Dr Kok engaged in professional misconduct as defined under section 5 of the Health Practitioner National Law (Victoria) Act 2009 (Vic) (National Law) by publishing derogatory and harmful content on social media and internet forums. Out of the 85 posts, 54 were found to support the allegations. The Tribunal was satisfied that Dr Kok’s posts had the effect of denigrating, demeaning and slurring medical practitioners, regardless of whether it was Dr Kok’s intention to do so.

The Board relied upon the 2014 and 2020 Codes of Conduct for Doctors in Australia which state that doctors have certain professional values and a responsibility to protect and promote the health of individuals and the community. Dr Kok defended his position by relying upon the common law right to freedom of speech, his rights under the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic) and the implied freedom of political communication under the Constitution. He submitted that his conduct could not be regulated by the National Law as doctors were not regulated in their personal lives outside of medical practice. The Tribunal rejected Dr Kok’s submissions, stating that section 5 of the National Law in fact regulated the conduct of a medical practitioner both within and outside of practice. Furthermore, the Tribunal noted that there was no need for Dr Kok’s posts to identify himself as a medical practitioner for his conduct to have been regulated by the National Law:

Implications for you

It is important to note that none of Dr Kok’s posts were targeted at any of his patients, nor were they conveyed during consultations with patients. Regardless, Dr Kok was found to have crossed the line with his social media posts. In line with this decision, the Australian Medical Association Social Media guide warns that 'The reality is that no matter what happens privately, you are always a doctor and need to consider how you present yourself.'

AHPRA has released guidelines on how medical professionals can meet their obligations under the National Law when using social media. The guidelines advise that medical professionals should always maintain professional standards regardless of whether they are interacting online or in person. This means complying with confidentiality and privacy obligations, maintaining professional boundaries, communicating professionally and respectfully, and not presenting information that is false, misleading or deceptive. Medical practitioners have the right to freedom of expression to the extent that they do not abuse or discriminate others or present a risk to the public.

A social media post may breach professional obligations if it presents a risk to public safety, provides false or misleading information or breaches privacy or confidentiality, risks the public’s confidence in their profession or requires action to maintain professional standards.

Medical Board of Australia v Kok (Review & Regulation) [2025] VCAT 650

¹ Medical Board of Australia v Kok [2025] VCAT 650, [77].