Race for top CoP post: One applicant seeks judicial review
A shortlist of candidates from the current list of seven applicants for the post of Police Commissioner is expected to be sent to President’s House ahead.
This was clarified yesterday by an official as well as other sources.
President Paula Mae-Weekes went on annual vacation last Saturday.
She is out of the country , returning August 25. Senate President Christine Kangaloo is acting President.
Meanwhile, a senior police officer who was among the 20-plus applicants for the CoP post is challenging his recent elimination by the Police Service Commission (PSC).
Documents filed in court on Monday state he is seeking judicial review on PSC’s decision– earlier this month – “to deem his application ineligible to proceed to the next phase of the selection and recruitment process.”
The matter is expected in court tomorrow. He had also unsuccessfully contested the post in 2018.
The commission had issued an order for the selection process for a CoP on June 17.
Police Commissioner Gary Griffith’s term ended Tuesday.
Part of PSC’s order allows an incumbent to continue in office while selection is on-going.
Among criteria, applicants need to have 15 years’ experience of increased responsibility.
In the early part of the process, interviews and polygraphs were done. Guardian Media was told no one failed a polygraph.
Last week, it was confirmed that so far from that process, seven people selected to date, comprise the incumbent, four senior police officers including a female DCP, a senior Defence Force officer with legal training and a United Nations adviser on security in this region.
When the commission has completed all of its processes, a final shortlist is completed. It was clarified the list of seven will be whittled down to the shortlist which will be sent to President’s House.
From there, names will be sent to the House of Representatives for debate. Parliament is currently on recess, due back by month end when the second year of this term begins.
So far, officials said the one-month that the selection process has taken, has involved one eighth of the cost of the last exercise in 2018.
Yesterday, former PSC member, attorney Martin George expressed concern about commission handling the selection.
An independent firm had handled recruitment and other aspects in the last 2018 selection process.
But using a firm was removed recently.
Government had stated it would expedite the process, allow commission to “do its thing” and would reduce costs.
George said, “It doesn’t seem to make sense that the PSC, which is doing the recruitment and handling interviews etc, will be able to objectively exercise its oversight and handle its regulatory function as an independent constitutionally appointed body where that is needed with an officer holder since that person will essentially be someone whom (PSC) itself has chosen.’’
“Also when Government keeps tinkering and tampering with the process it undermines and erodes confidence in it and the Commission and people will feel you’re trying to generate a certain result.’’
By Guardian Media Newsroom