- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 30/Jun 19:57

Judge stops police association elections

A High Court judge has halted the Police Service Social and Welfare Association’s scheduled election following an emergency injunction application by the Voices in Blue team, led by Sgt Wendell Warrick. Justice Frank Seepersad granted the injunction on June 30, the same day police officers were expected to vote for a new executive. Seepersad granted an interim injunction restraining the association from conducting or facilitating the elections. The judge also issued an injunction prohibiting ACP Anand Ramesar from participating in the election pending a court ruling on his eligibility. Additionally, the association must, within five days, disclose the number of special reserve police (SRP) and municipal police officers listed as members, the total dues collected from them, and the legal authority for those collections. The association is further restrained from continuing to collect dues from SRPs, municipal police, or transit police officers. These interim orders will remain in effect until the matter is heard on July 8. Voices in Blue filed the emergency application to stop the election and challenge Ramesar’s candidacy. According to their filings, Ramesar, who previously served two terms as president and one as secretary, was initially ruled ineligible to vote, despite having his nomination approved by the election committee. That disqualification was reversed on June 29. The application also claimed the inclusion of SRPs and municipal police officers in the election violated the association’s Articles of Association and exceeded its mandate under the Police Service Act. The application said that while the association attempted to amend its 2004 Articles of Association in 2023 and filed the amended version with the Industrial Court, the revised articles were never registered with the Registrar General, as required by the Police Service Act of 2006. “The newly amended articles were never validly adopted according to law and are therefore ultra vires and unenforceable,” the application said. In his affidavit, Warrick called for written clarification on the legal authority to include SRPs and municipal police in the election, their removal from the voter roll, publication of a verified candidate list, and a review of Ramesar’s candidacy. He also alleged the election committee ignored legal advice regarding Ramesar’s eligibility and argued that municipal police already have their own representative association. Warrick also referred to a Ministry of Finance directive that said the association is not authorised to represent municipal police officers. Ramesar leads Team Equity in the election. Also named as defendants are the Commissioner of Police, the Minister of Finance, and the Registrar General. The post Judge stops police association elections appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.