Medical professionals have welcomed the decision by Singapore's highest court on Wednesday to set aside a judgment on a doctor who was fined for not telling a patient about the side effects of an injection.

Private orthopaedic specialist Lim Lian Arn was given the maximum $100,000 fine by the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) in January, a decision that more than 4,000 doctors responded to by signing a petition asking the Health Minister to intervene. They said the judgment was too severe and would lead to the practice of defensive medicine in Singapore.