The High Court ruled on Wednesday (15th March 2023) that the Audit Report into the grant of firearms users’ licences “be handed straight over to the Commissioner of Police and to the Police Service Commission” for further investigation. Former Police Commissioner Gary Griffith had challenged the National Security Council’s decision to commission the report, which included a period when he was Commissioner. Mr. Griffith had also alleged that his right to natural justice was breached in the preparation of the report. However, both allegations were rejected by the High Court on Wednesday. Further, the Court ruled that the National Security Council “was quite entitled under section 75 of the Constitution to take the steps” that it did. In rejecting Mr. Griffith’s claim of breach of natural justice, the Court said Mr. Griffith’s assertion of any right to be heard is premature. The Court also rejected an allegation that Prime Minister Keith Rowley had acted in bad faith in relation to the Audit Report. Following Wednesday’s ruling by the High Court, the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs issued a Media Release stating, “The Attorney General wishes to advise that the High Court today delivered judgment in High Court action CV 2022-03915: Between Gary Griffith v The National Security Council and Others. A most significant feature of the High Cout's ruling was its direction that the Audit Report into the grant of firearms users’ licences during a period that included Mr. Griffith's term as Commissioner of Police “be handed straight over to the Commissioner of Police and to the Police Service Commission” for futher investigation. The Attorney General’s Office added, “By his claim, Mr. Griffith challenged as unconstitutional, the decision of the National Security Council (as a sub-committee of the Cabinet) to commission this Audit Report into the grant of firearms users’ licences. Mr. Griffith also alleged that his right to natural justice was breached by the audit committee in the preparation of its report. Both allegations were roundly rejected today by the High Court. Specifically, the Court ruled that the National Security Council ‘was quite entitled under section 75 of the Constitution to take the steps that it did.’ Further, the Court ruled that the Audit Committee did not breach Mr. Griffith's natural justice rights in any way, because ‘[Mr. Griffith's] assertion of any right to be heard is premature.' Additionally, in responding to an enquiry by Mr. Griffith's Attorneys in Cout today, and in explaining its ruling on an allegation made by Mr. Griffith that the Honorable Prime Minister had acted in bad faith in relation to the Audit Report, the High Court stated in open Court today, to all parties, that that allegation had also been rejected.” The Media Release from The Attorney General’s Office concluded by saying, “The direction of the High Court today to the Commissioner of Police and to the Police Service Commission is a definitive judicial direction that the law must now therefore be allowed to take its course.” [Source: TTT Live Online]
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