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THE Privy Council has affirmed the findings of local Court of Appeal, ruling that criminal charges under the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act must be filed within six months of an offence coming to the knowledge of an inspector.

The decision, handed down on Tuesday dismisses an appeal from the Occupational Safety and Health Authority and Agency (OSHA) and clarifies the application of the OSH Act.

The legal dispute stemmed from a workplace incident at the University of the West Indies in March 2016. OSHA had filed a complaint more than a year after the incident, prompting the university to argue that the prosecution was "out of time."