From left, Sangster, Coke and Jones

Edmond Campbell, News Coordinator

On Thursday, the five-member strong Public Service Commission (PSC) was given its marching orders by the Governor-General, acting on advice from Prime Minister Bruce Golding.

The instruments of revocation were received just hours before a pending showdown between the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Portia Simpson Miller, who was seeking an injunction to prevent the dismissal of the PSC members. They were Daisy Coke, Michael Fennell, Edwin Jones, Alfred Sangster and Pauline Findlay.

'Bad faith'

But, attorney-at-law Linton Walters, who filed an application in the Supreme Court on Wednesday, seeking an injunction to prevent the removal of the PSC members, tells The Sunday Gleaner that Prime Minister Bruce Golding acted in "bad faith" by requesting the dismissal of the members of the commission.

The Prime Minister advised the Governor-General to dismiss members of the PSC, citing consistent misconduct and unlawful behaviour.

Justice Kay Beckford, however, granted leave for Opposition Leader Simpson Miller to go to the Judicial Review Court to quash the Prime Minister's decision to recommend the dismissal of the PSC members.

The first hearing is set for January 10. Bert Samuels, one of the attorneys representing the Opposition Leader, says on that day they will be looking at the chronology of events, which led to the dismissals because it was in the public domain that the matter was going to court since Wednesday.

The Prime Minister is being represented by R.N.A.day, they will be looking at the chronology of events which led to the dismissals, because it was in the public domain that the matter was going to court since Wednesday.

The Prime Minister is being represented by R.N.A. Henriques, Q.C., while the Attorney-General is being represented by attorney-at-law Allan Wood of the law firm Livingston Alexander and Levy.

Henriques argued in chambers that Simpson Miller had no legal authority to bring the motion, but the judge disagreed.

Professor Kenneth Hall issued the instruments of revocation on December 12. These were delivered to the members of the commission between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. on Thursday.

A release from King's House said the instruments were handed over on Wednesday morning before the hearing of the application by the Opposition Leader, to the Supreme Court.

According to the Prime Minister, the decision to axe members of the PSC was due to the "persistent misconduct and unlawful behaviour of the commission in carrying out its functions."

Further, he says, "The blatant disregard for procedural fairness and natural justice, demonstrated by the commission, was the subject of scathing comments by the Supreme Court earlier this year."

Doing the honourable thing

Based on these behaviours, Golding says, it would have been the honourable thing for members of the commission to have tendered their resignations en bloc.

Instead, the Prime Minister noted, the commission had persisted in its "vindictiveness by contriving to circumvent and frustrate the decision of the court".

Former chairman of the commission, Daisy Coke, a notable actuary in the region, says she could not comment at this time on the latest development in the ongoing saga. However, she expresses shock at the reasons given by Golding for the dismissal of the PSC members.

"This is a bombshell," she remarks.

Another former member of the commission, Mike Fennell, says he would have to examine the statement carefully before making a public comment.

The Prime Minister says he consulted with the Leader of the Opposition, as stipulated by the Constitution, to terminate the appointment of the members of the Public Service Commission.

He contends there were instances in which the commission made decisions on matters in which one or more of its members were in the position of being connected persons who did not disqualify themselves or declare interest.

The Government and the PSC have been at odds since the commission recommended that Professor Stephen Vasciannie be appointed the new Solicitor General.