Queensland psychiatrist Dr Jillian Spencer has alleged she was assaulted by security guards after staging a protest this week at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists’ annual conference in Melbourne.
In a social media post, Dr Spencer said she had staged a silent protest by holding up a banner that read “RANZCP kicked out Dr Andrew Amos. Why?” during the keynote speech.
“Security pushed me over, dragged me out, and cancelled my conference registration,” Dr Spencer said.
“Once I was on the ground, he physically dragged me down the stairs,” she said in a follow‑up post. She estimated that around 1,000 members of the audience had witnessed her being physically removed from the auditorium.
Dr Spencer was stood down from her role at a Queensland public hospital after she voiced opposition to the gender‑affirming care approach to treating people experiencing gender dysphoria in April 2023.
She was subsequently dismissed from her position, and that case is now before the Queensland Supreme Court. In recent years Dr Spencer has become a prominent opponent of transgender recognition, regularly appearing on Sky News and in the pages of The Australian newspaper.
Fellow Queensland psychiatrist Dr Andrew Amos has also been a vocal opponent of the gender‑affirming model of care, as well as voicing opposition to laws that ban conversion therapy. In March, Australia’s health practitioner regulator Ahpra banned him from treating patients or making public comment on transgender health care. Following Ahpra’s action, the RANZCP suspended Dr Amos’s membership.
Dr Amos was associated with James Cook University, but the university has told OUTinPerth that he has no teaching or research position and was never employed in a teaching or research role by the institution.
After returning from Melbourne to Queensland, Dr Spencer filed a police report alleging assault. She later posted a copy of her police statement online. In her statement, Dr Spencer said she had spent five to ten minutes crying near the main stage of the auditorium before a security guard threatened to call police unless she left the venue.
RANZCP outlines it’s approach to membership when psychiatrists are banned by Ahpra
In a statement, the RANZCP said it was not a regulator of health practitioners but was required to respond when the regulator makes decisions about a person’s suitability to practise. While no direct mention was made of Dr Amos or Dr Spencer, the President of the Board set out the organisation’s responsibilities.
“The College is not a regulator. In Australia, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the Medical Board of Australia are responsible for regulating medical registration, investigating notifications, and imposing conditions or restrictions where required. In Aotearoa New Zealand, that role sits with the Medical Council of New Zealand,” President Astha Tomar said.
“The College does not duplicate these processes, nor does it make regulatory findings. However, it does have distinct responsibilities as the peak body for psychiatry and as the custodian of Fellowship standards.”
Dr Tomar highlighted that under the RANZCP Constitution, the Board may cease or suspend membership where a member has conditions or restrictions placed on their right to practise by a regulatory authority. The Constitution also provides separate pathways for matters relating to conduct, which are managed through established processes, including the Member Conduct Committee.
“Where a regulator places significant restrictions on a member’s clinical practice, the Board has a responsibility to consider the implications for College membership, governance roles, Fellowship standards and community confidence. Suspension of membership is a serious step. It is not taken lightly, and it is not a substitute for regulatory processes.
“The Board has, on previous occasions, taken similar actions where required under the Constitution. These decisions are made carefully, based on the information available at the time, and reflect a consistent approach to governance rather than a response to any single circumstance.
“At the same time, these are sensitive matters. Members affected by such processes should be treated with fairness, dignity and care. They should be supported to access appropriate wellbeing, professional and legal supports. The College recognises the personal and professional impact these situations can have and approaches them with appropriate seriousness,” Dr Tomar said.
Dr Tomar assumed the role of President of the RANZCP in May 2025 for a two‑year term. Dr Spencer had run for the role unsuccessfully.
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