JAMAICANS FOR Justice (JFJ), the human rights lobby group, has called on the Minister of National Security, Dr. Peter Phillips, and Permanent Secretary Gilbert Scott to assume responsibility for ensuring the proper function of the Forensic Department of the Ministry.
The group's call comes in the wake of what it views as the "continuing obstructionist tactics of the Department of Forensic Pathology".
"The Forensic Department headed by Dr. Royston Clifford (government pathologist) again refused to allow note-taking at the autopsy of Marvin Henderson," the JFJ said in a release issued over the weekend. Prior to the issuing of a directive by Mr. Scott, Dr. Clifford had called off an earlier post-mortem examination on the body of Basil Brown. Mr. Brown was a vendor who was shot and killed by the police on February 17, at the corner of Hope Road and Kingsway, St. Andrew.
"Jamaicans for Justice is appalled that the Ministry of National Security is allowing the Forensic Department of its Ministry to defy its own directives," stated the JFJ in the release.
The directive, issued by Mr. Scott earlier this month, instructed Dr. Clifford to allow observer pathologist, Dr. Odemola Odunsa, to make notes during the post-mortem examination on the body of Mr. Brown. Dr. Odunsa was the family-appointed pathologist.
Earlier this month The Gleaner reported that, when the relevant parties arrived for the post-mortem examination on the body of Mr. Brown, a stand-off occurred between the two doctors present. Dr. Odunsa refused to comply with an order, issued by Dr. Clifford, not to take notes during the proceedings. As a result the exercise was called off.
According to Dr. Carolyn Gomes, executive director of the JFJ, though Mr. Scott intervened in the earlier case, stating that the observer pathologist should be allowed to make notes in all cases, Dr. Clifford has held fast to his stance against note-taking in the case of Mr. Henderson.
Donovan Nelson, communications adviser in the Ministry, cast doubt on the legitimacy of Dr. Clifford's supposed action.
"On the Basil Brown case, we thought we had clarified the matter. The instruction to Dr. Clifford was general enough," he said. Based on the verbal advice of the Attorney-General, he added, it was decided that the taking of notes by an observer pathologist could not be construed as intrusive to the conduction of a post-mortem.
Mr. Nelson said that, though he could not confirm the JFJ's charges, it was the view of the Ministry that, if anything took place in opposition to the Permanent Secretary's directive, some form of action would have to be taken.
According to the JFJ, the "tactics" undertaken by the Forensic Department "would suggest that the department is determined to abrogate the rights of Jamaican citizens". If the Minister and Permanent Secretary do not ensure the proper functioning of the department, the group added, "we will be left to conclude that it is Dr. Clifford's obstruction that is really the policy of the Ministry".
According to Dr. Gomes, Mr. Henderson was shot and killed by police on February 28 in the vicinity of Church Street, downtown Kingston. She said that the post-mortem examination of his body was scheduled to take place on Thursday of last week, but was postponed due to Dr. Clifford's refusal to allow note-taking by Dr. Odunsa, the observer pathologist.
