Court rules in favour of axed Special Constables THE SUPREME Court has granted leave for two Special Constables who were dismissed twice from the force, to apply to the Judicial Review Court for an order to compel the Commissioner of Police to reinstate them. Special Constables Errol Lawrence and Gem Gray of Montego Bay, were first dismissed from the Island Special Constablary Force in 1995 after a disciplinary hearing. The main charges brought against them at the hearing were identical to charges for which they had been acquitted in the St. James Circuit Court in 1990. After they were dismissed they took the matter to the Supreme Court, which quashed the dismissal order and ruled that the Commissioner should consider the minor charge which remained. In 1998 a hearing was conducted into the minor charge and the two special constables were dismissed for the second time. They filed a motion in the Supreme Court, which ruled that the Commissioner did not have the power to dismiss them on the minor charge. They had asked for an order for reinstatement but Mr. Justice Clarence Walker ruled then that it was not necessary because reinstatement should follow automatically from the court's order. The two Special Constables have not been reinstated and on Monday they applied to the Supreme Court for leave to appeal to the Judicial Review Court. Mr. Justice Roy Anderson heard the application and granted them leave. The Special Constables were represented by Attorney-at-law Keri-Gaye Brown, of the law firm Gifford Thompson & Bright. Attorney-at-law Susan Reid-Jones represented the Director of States Proceedings.
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