He used to be on this newscast very regularly but these days you’re more likely to see Chester Williams walking on the street in plain clothes than you are to see him in a police mobile. That’s because Williams is suspended on half pay – he says illegally. And today he took that claim to the Supreme Court, challenging the suspension and a transfer to the Policy and Planning Office, which he maintains is equivalent to an administrative demotion. His attorney is Godfrey Smith and today he went before Justice Awich asking for leave for judicial review.
The government side argued that Smith should have first exhausted the options for appeal within the public service system. And while that usually holds in this case, Smith argued that even that is in question in this case. Awich was satisfied that there is arguable before the high court, and granted the leave.
Smith explained why they had to go to the court and not seek relief at the Services Commission.
Godfrey Smith, Attorney for Chester Williams
“At the end of the day however permission was granted because our basic position has been and is that there could not have been a decision of the Security Services Commission to suspend him because at the time none existed. So if they did not exist at the time, they could not have properly suspended him and therefore there is nothing to appeal from.
Very serious issues arise, they are attempting to say that there was a decision of a Security Services Commission when it is patently obvious that one did not exist. So I am waiting with interest to see who will come and say to the court that there was a Security Services Commission and it took a decision, at the time they said it was done.”
There will be a full hearing of the case on May 27th.
