Updated chronology -January 13, 2008 to February 25, 2008

My good friend has again usefully composed an updated chronology,this time from January 13 to February 25, 2008. I very much appreciate the efforts of my friend.



Jan. 13, 2008 The Sunday Gleaner publishes an article by Lambert Brown headed “Justice, Truth and the PSC”, in which Brown points out that neither law nor convention requires Public Service Commission members to resign when the Government changes.

Jan. 13, 2008 The Sunday Gleaner publishes an article by Ian Boyne headed “Vasciannie and our Political Culture”; Boyne argues that “(o)ne of the most reprehensible and repulsive arguments being used against the appointment of Stephen Vasciannie as Solicitor General is the fact that six years ago he harshly criticized Bruce Golding, likening his return to the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) to a dead cat being tossed on a deck.”

Jan. 15, 2008 The Daily Observer publishes an article by Ken Chaplin under the heading “What’s Going On in the AG’s Dept?” in which he criticizes the Executive Committee of the Attorney General’s Chambers and discusses the question of payments to lawyers in the Chambers for private work.

Jan. 17, 2008 The Gleaner publishes an editorial under the heading “Arrogance, Power and Matters of Justice” concerning mainly the case of Michael Bennett, a caretaker wrongfully dismissed by the St. Elizabeth Parish Council. The editorial comments on the importance of natural justice and states: “…(T)he Michael Bennett cases will, hopefully, inspire a new metaphor for the administration, given its clumsy objection to the installation of Professor Stephen Vasciannie as the Solicitor General and the subsequent firing of the Public Service Commission.”

Jan. 19, 2008 The Daily Observer publishes a letter from O. Hilaire Sobers entitled “The Attorney General, the Constitution and the Rule of Law” which challenges Attorney General Lightbourne’s perspectives on her role in the appointment of personnel in the Attorney General’s Chambers.

Jan. 19, 2008 The Daily Observer publishes a letter from D.S. Morgan entitled “Strange ‘Official’” which points out various discrepancies in Ken Chaplin’s article about the Attorney General’s Chambers published in the Daily Observer on January 15.

Jan. 20, 2008 The Gleaner publishes, as its Letter of the Day, a letter from L.L. Ventour headed “A Daniel Come to Judgement” in which he argues that any objection to Professor Vasciannie’s appointment is not because of Vasciannie’s “dead cat” comments about Bruce Golding’s return to the JLP in 2002.

Jan. 27, 2008 The Public Service Commission re-advertises the post of Solicitor General in the Sunday Gleaner.

Jan. 29, 2008 The Gleaner publishes a front page story headed “PSC Misbehaved: Former Commission Member Sangster Supports Firing Body”. The Gleaner also published front page comments by Cabinet Secretary Carlton Davis on the PSC issue under the title “…Whole Case Handled Poorly, says Davis”. On page 3, the Gleaner reports that “Sacked PSC Members Take Golding to Court”. This report indicates that Daisy Coke, Mike Fennell, Edwin Jones and Pauline Findlay have sought leave to go to the Judicial Review Court to quash the recommendation of the Prime Minister that they be fired for misbehaviour.

Jan. 22, 2008 The Daily Observer publishes a letter from O. Hilaire Sobers headed “Withdraw Partisanship Accusation, Ken”, challenging Ken Chaplin’s suggestion that lawyers in the Attorney General’s Chambers are biased in favour of the People’s National Party.

Jan. 29, 2008 The Daily Observer reports on page 3 that “Four Ex-PSC Members Sue Prime Minister”

Jan. 30, 2008 The Gleaner publishes, as its Letter of the Day, a letter entitled “The primacy of ministers in gov’t administration” by Ken Jones.

Jan. 31, 2008 The Gleaner publishes a letter by O. Hilaire Sobers under the heading “Sangster and the PSC” noting various problems inherent in the approach taken by Dr. Alfred Sangster with respect to the Public Service Commission.

Feb. 2, 2008 The Daily Observer publishes a letter by O. Hilaire Sobers under the heading “Why Now, Dr. Sangster?” criticizing the approach taken by Dr. Sangster. Among other things, Mr. Sobers asks: “(I)f Dr. Sangster felt so strongly about the “misbehaviour” of his colleagues, why didn’t he say so before? Why now, when his erstwhile colleagues have launched a legal challenge to their dismissals. Why didn’t Dr. Sangster resign instead of waiting to be fired?”

Feb. 3, 2008 The Sunday Observer publishes a front page story under the headline: “’PM was Angry’: Golding Accused PSC of Wanting to Shove Vasciannie Down Govt’s Throat, says Coke”. The report draws from the affidavit filed by Daisy Coke, Chairperson of the PSC, on the issue of Professor Vasciannie’s selection for the post of Solicitor General.

Feb. 3, 2008 The Sunday Gleaner publishes, as Letter of the Day, a letter from former Attorney General A.J. Nicholson entitled “Sangster Lets the Puss Out of the Bag” which discusses the reasons advanced by the Prime Minister for dismissing the PSC and points out that Alfred Sangster had admitted that the so-called “dead cat” argument influenced his thinking on whether Professor Vasciannie should be appointed as Solicitor General. Senator Nicholson suggests that this adds to the tangled web that the Government has weaved in the PSC matter.

Feb. 3, 2008 The Sunday Observer publishes on page 3 a story entitled “Gov’t Axes Vasciannie from Air Policy Committee”, noting that Professor Vasciannie has been dismissed from the Air Policy Committee although the letter of dismissal praises the professor for his “tremendous work” which “will be a pillar on which the new committee will be able to build”.

Feb. 5, 2008 The Daily Observer publishes an editorial entitled “Why this Animosity towards Professor Vasciannie?” The editorial suggests there is bias against Vasciannie, notes that the Government has handled the matter poorly, points out that Vasciannie is the candidate best qualified for the post of Solicitor General and links the PSC matter to the dismissal of Vasciannie as Chairman of the Air Policy Committee.

Feb. 5, 2008 The Daily Observer publishes a letter by Alison Irvine under the heading “Is It Personal, Mr. Golding?”, in which Ms. Irvine links the dismissal of Vasciannie from the Air Policy Committee (and his replacement by Noel Hylton) to the PSC matter. Ms. Irvine also points out that in December 2005 the Police Service Commission had sought to retire Inspector Donovan “Hux” O’Connor, but that this decision was found by the High Court to have no legal basis. The Chairman of the Police Service Commission in December 2005 was Noel Hylton.

Feb. 11, 2008 The Gleaner publishes a story under the heading “Stand Up To Them! Permanent Secretaries Urged to be More Forthright Despite Existing Threat of Political Victimisation”.

Feb. 11, 2008 The Daily Observer publishes a letter from Rev. Dr. Mervin Stoddart under the heading “Very Principled Stance, Dr. Sangster”.

Feb. 11, 2008 RJR reports that the closing date for applications for the readvertised post of Solicitor General is February 11, 2008, and that as of Friday, February 8, only Douglas Leys had applied for the position.

Feb. 14, 2008 The Daily Observer publishes a story entitled “Why Hylton, and not Vasciannie, is the Right Man”, concerning the appointment of Noel Hylton to the position of Chairman of the Air Policy Committee of the Jamaican Government.


Feb. 25, 2008 RJR reports that Douglas Leys is the sole candidate for the re-advertised post of Solicitor General; RJR further reports that neither Professor Vasciannie nor Patrick Foster had re-applied for the position.

Feb. 25, 2008 The Gleaner reports, under the heading “DPP, Solicitor General Interviews This Week”, that only one Douglas Leys has applied for the post of Solicitor General.