Supreme Court grants interim injunction barring police commissioner from removing POA chairman

The Supreme Court has granted an interim injunction blocking Commissioner of Police Dr Kevin Blake from removing Senior Superintendent Wayne Cameron as chairman of the Police Officers' Association (POA).

It marks an escalation of a spat between Jamaica's police chief and a high-ranking officer that has been playing out in public.

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The injunction was granted by Justice Natalie Hart Hines during an ex parte hearing on Wednesday following an application by Lemar Neale, the attorney representing Cameron.

An ex parte hearing involves only the person making the application, without the opposing party being present.

The injunction included a penal notice with a warning to Blake and his subordinates.

“If you, commissioner of police, fail to comply with the terms of this order, you will be in contempt of court and may be liable to be imprisoned or have your assets confiscated,” read the penal notice.

“Further, any person notified of this order who knowingly assists in or permits a breach of this order will be in contempt of court and may be liable to have their assets confiscated,” it added.

The injunction will remain in place until at least October 8, when the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear from both sides in an inter partes hearing.

An application for leave to seek judicial review of the police commissioner's decision to remove Cameron as chairman of the POA will also be heard on that date.

In a public statement on Monday, the police communication arm said Blake had directed that the chair of the POA be vacated.

The statement said, too, that the current holder of the office would no longer be granted audience with the Police High Command and would not be permitted to represent the police force outside of official duties.

“The High Command is concerned that reports of alleged indiscipline and misconduct by the chairman may compromise the conduct of the POA, particularly at a time when the organisation is required to engage in highly technical salary and benefits negotiations with the Government of Jamaica,” said the statement.

It did not provide details of the alleged misconduct.

The directives by the police commissioner came after Cameron filed a report with the Police Services Commission in January this year containing several allegations levelled against Blake, multiple law enforcement sources have revealed.

The statement from the police indicated that in the interim, the remaining members of the POA executive will appoint a chairman pro tem to lead the association into a special general meeting for the purpose of electing a new executive in accordance with established conventions.

But the Supreme Court granted a stay of the implementation of this decision “pending the inter partes hearing.”

“An interim injunction is granted restraining the respondent, whether acting in concert, by himself, his servants and/or agents or otherwise howsoever from directing or causing to be convened any meeting of the Police Officers' Association for the purpose of removing the applicant [Cameron] as chairman and appointing a chairman pro tem or otherwise,” the court ordered.

- Livern Barrett and Jovan Johnson

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