A move to halt the promotions process within the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force failed in the High Court on Thursday, just about 45 minutes before police officers seeking to be promoted were scheduled to write exams for their respective promotional positions.
The Police Welfare Association sought to stop the process on behalf of some of its members who had raised questions and objections about the guidelines that are being followed throughout the promotions procedure.
For some time Thursday afternoon it was ‘touch and go’ for police officers sitting the exams who were unsure whether the injunction would be granted or denied.
The exams were scheduled for 5:00 o’clock and went ahead as scheduled..
Police officers who turned up at the High Court to lend support to those seeking to stop the process were told to leave and wait outside the court house after an application was made by the Attorney General’s office for the case to be heard in chambers.
Exasperated, yet determined to show their solidarity, the officers, including the Association’s President, Cameron Laure stayed until a little over four in the afternoon when finally the court house doors were pushed opened and the attorneys walked out, signalling an end to the proceedings.
“It was an interim matter…basically the injunction failed,” Brian Stephen, the Association’s attorney said.
The VOICE, however learned that the injunction was late in coming and that could have been one factor against it.
But this is not the end of the Association’s attempts at stopping the promotions process. They now bear to file an even more substantive matter in the courts, as early as next week, where issues of law will be determined.
Stephen Thursday alluded to that noting that this time around the Association would stand a better chance of success.
About 254 police officers are going through the promotions process, but less than 100 of them could not go through for one reason or another.
