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A High Court judge has ruled that the prolonged failure of the Prime Minister to respond to recommendations from the Public Service Commission (PSC) to process his acting appointment to deputy permanent secretary amounted to an unconstitutional breach of the senior public officer’s rights.

Justice Westmin James upheld a constitutional claim brought by retired public officer John Edwards against the Attorney General, finding that the Prime Minister's repeated non-responses to PSC consultations unfairly blocked Edwards’ career progression and violated his rights to the protection of the law and equality of treatment.

He awarded Edwards $250,000 in damages.