Police deny blank orders presented to review tribunal

EMERGENCY Powers Review Tribunal member Nancy Anderson has denied a news report that blank documents for detention orders have been presented to the panel that is charged with hearing objections from persons held under the current State of Public Emergency.

The report also prompted a response from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), which also denied that blank detention orders had been placed before the panel.

"Contrary to the headlining story in today's (yesterday's) Daily Gleaner... the police high command has not, and does not, present a single blank detention order before the Emergency Powers Review Tribunal," the JCF said in a statement yesterday. "There are standard operating procedures that must be adhered to when handling matters involving those detained since the granting of the state of emergency, and issuing blank detention orders is not one of them," the constabulary said.

The police said detention orders can only be issued by the minister of national security following a request and justification for detention by the police. The detention orders, the constabulary said, form part of several other related documents that are served on each detainee.

Last night, Anderson — who is an attorney by profession and head of the Independent Jamaican Council for Human Rights — stated categorically that the documents were not blank.

She told the Observer that a few documents were presented, on which the reason for detention was not stated, and that the panel raised this concern with lawyers from the Attorney General's Chambers who appeared before the tribunal with a view that the concern would be relayed to security minister Dwight Nelson.

Nevertheless, Anderson said, as allowed by regulations, detainees are informed of the reason for their detention by the chairman when placed before the tribunal.

The tribunal was set up to hear objections from persons who have been detained since the State of Emergency was declared by Prime Minister Bruce Golding on May 23 in response to the mayhem being spread by gunmen loyal to alleged drug lord Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.