Veteran trade unionist Caswell Franklyn expects to see more public servants taking the bold step to run for political office in the future given the recent High Court ruling regarding the unconstitutionality of prohibiting public officers from engaging in active politics.He believes there is a possibility that Parliament could move to restrict specific categories of public servants from running for political office, however.“And that is only sensible because you cannot have a permanent secretary, a commissioner of police, or the people who write speeches for ministers running for political office,” Franklyn noted. “There would have to be some clarification as the law intended from 1966, they just never put it in place,” the former Opposition senator added.Saying he was not surprised by the recent ruling by Justice Westmin James, Franklyn explained that he was also not shocked that teachers Pedro Shepherd and Alwyn Babb who were both charged last year by the Ministry of Public Service under General Order 3.18:1 for contesting the January 2022 general election and suspended with half pay, are no longer facing charges.
