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A High Court judge has ruled that the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) unlawfully denied Warrant Officer Class II (WOII) Marlon Pierre promotion to Warrant Officer Class I, declaring that the criteria used to block his advancement violated the Constitution.

Justice Westmin James found that senior officers applied an unpromulgated and unauthorised performance-rating system that unfairly ranked Pierre below junior colleagues, leading to his non-recommendation for promotion in February 2024. The court held that the process breached Section 4(b) of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to the protection of the law.

Pierre, who has served 29 years in the Regiment and has held the rank of Warrant Officer Class II since July 2019, argued that commanders used performance appraisals not recognised in the Regiment’s Standing Orders and failed to substantiate negative claims about his “mannerisms” and “tone.” He said those allegations, made by a junior officer, were never investigated or supported with evidence and resulted in lower annual ratings that disqualified him under the disputed system.