Elections boss to remain on job for now as court reserves ruling in termination case

Livern Barrett, Senior Gleaner Writer

High Court judge Kirk Justice Anderson has left in place an injunction barring the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) from removing acting Director of Elections Orrette Fisher.

Anderson made the order in the Supreme Court this afternoon after government lawyers and Fisher's attorney presented legal arguments at the judicial review of the ECJ's decision to terminate the services of the elections boss.

The injunction will remain in place until the judge makes his ruling in the case.

Anderson has promised to treat the case as a priority.

Government lawyers today argued that it would be detrimental to good administration if the Supreme Court grants the declarations being sought by Fisher to quash the ECJ's decision to terminate his services.

Fisher maintains that the decision goes outside the ambit of the Electoral Commission Interim Act and interferes with his tenure.

READ: Judge asked to quash ECJ's decision to terminate elections boss

But Solicitor General Nicole Foster-Pusey argues that the commission had all right to take the action it did.

She note that the position of director of elections has not been substantively filled since November 2015.

According to her, since November 1 last year, the ECJ has been held up in its attempt to commence the recruitment process to identify a director of elections.

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