Caption: Justice Frank Seepersad

Summary

• High Court Justice Frank Seepersad raised concerns about TTPS policy that promotes officers who are suspended or facing criminal charges, during a case by Corporal Roger Reid.
• The judge did not rule on the full case, noting Reid had been retroactively promoted while the matter was before the court.
• He acknowledged the policy is legal on the presumption of innocence but warned it may erode public trust in the TTPS by signaling legitimacy to officers under criminal cloud.
• Justice Seepersad suggested that retroactive promotions could be acceptable if officers are later cleared, to avoid undermining public confidence.
• The case traces back to 2014, involving Reid and six colleagues charged with misbehaviour in public office related to an alleged detainee incident; Reid retired in 2024 after a 55-year career.

 

 

By Prior Beharry

JUSTICE Frank Seepersad raised concerns about a Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) policy that promotes officers who are suspended or facing criminal charges.

On Wednesday, he flagged the practice while presiding over a lawsuit brought by Corporal Roger Reid, who claimed he was bypassed for promotion while colleagues were suspended in connection with an alleged detainee fire incident.

Justice Seepersad did not issue a ruling on Reid’s broader case, noting that Reid had already been retroactively promoted while the criminal case was pending. He acknowledged the policy’s legality—on the premise that officers are presumed innocent until proven guilty—but cautioned that its real-world effect could undermine public trust in the TTPS.

“The real danger, therefore, is not the individual officer’s case, but the level of institutional signalling when the public sees an officer rise in rank while under the cloud of a criminal charge for misbehaviour in a public office,” the judge said.

He suggested that officers might be amenable to retroactive promotions, provided they are cleared of wrongdoing.

The incident dates back to July 2014, when Reid and six colleagues were charged with misbehaviour in public office in connection with an incident at a police station in which a detainee alleged he was doused with methylated spirit and set on fire.

After suspensions and salary interdictions, Reid later participated in a promotion exercise and filed the lawsuit after a delay in promotion. Reid retired in 2024 at age 55.

In October last year, TTPS disclosed to the court that Reid had been retroactively promoted effective June 2017, with back pay to follow. Justice Seepersad noted that the case’s outcome hinged on that concession, which essentially granted Reid the relief he sought, and he indicated that constitutional rights arguments tied to the case should not be treated as central to the judicial review outcome.