SPOKESPERSON for Protectors of Prisons and the Criminal Justice System Dr Wayne Kublalsingh is calling on President Paula-Mae Weekes to explain why she did not submit the merit list to Parliament after it was sent to her office.

A ten-page letter titled 'A request to explain the reason for the abrogation of the CoP (commissioner of police) selection process on or about August 11 and 12' was hand-delivered to the Office of the President on Monday by Kublalsingh's deputies Jason Ash and Suresh Chaitoo.

Kublalsingh, who has rheumatoid arthritis, was unable to cross the three lanes of traffic around the Queen's Park Savannah to deliver the letter himself. The letter is supported by his deputies and 57 others.

Speaking with the media after the letter was delivered, Kublalsingh said the President broke the law by not submitting to Parliament the Order of Merit list compiled by the then Police Service Commission (PSC) after she received it on August 11. He added that, contrary to popular belief, the President can be taken to court.

'Many persons think the President is above the law, that is not the case, the President is bound to the Constitution. The Privy Council ruled on that and noted if the President acted against the law, the court does have the authority to at least hear the complaint. We are trying to uncover what transpired and we are doing this with the backdrop that it is not true that one cannot take the President to court.'

In statement on October 17, the President said the Order of Merit List was delivered to her office on August 11 and it was rescinded later that day. She said this meant she could not submit the list to Parliament for consideration.

On Monday, Kublalsingh said,'We think the President acted 'ultra vires' that is against the law, and she needs to answer the questions of what happened. Why was this withdrawn and why did the process take place the way it did? We are not dealing with an ordinary citizen, we are dealing with the commissioner of police, we cannot leave it as it is. It is an important issue, and it could set dangerous precedent.'

Kublalsingh said the group sent copies of the letter to former members of the PSC who all resigned after the bungling in appointing, suspending and revoking the suspension of Gary Griffith as acting police commissioner, pending a probe into the award of firearm user's licences (FULs) by retired judge Stanley John.

Kublalsingh, who staged two hunger strikes in 2014, in an attempt to get then prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to change the route of the extension of the Solomon Hochoy Highway to Point Fortin, said he is not prepared mentally or physically to take such a route again.

He said while he has great respect for the President, he is willing to take the matter to court, all the way to the Privy Council if need be and gave her two months to respond and tell the country what happened between the list being sent and rescinded.

'Her statement did answer some of the q