TTRA injunction to be heard before Appeal Court panel today

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TTRA injunction to be heard before Appeal Court panel today

The injunction seeking to delay plans to introduce the long-touted T&T Revenue Authority (TTRA) next month will be heard before the Court of Appeal today, Tuesday 4th July.

The Public Services Association (PSA), through its member, Customs officer Terrisa Dhoray, is claiming that High Court Judge Betsy Ann Lambert-Peterson got it wrong when she refused the injunction, early last month.

In the substantive lawsuit, Dhoray is challenging the constitutional validity of the T&T Revenue Act 2021.

She contends that certain segments of the legislation are unconstitutional as they seek to interfere with the terms and conditions of employment of public servants currently assigned to the Customs and Excise Division (CED) and the Inland Revenue Division (IRD).

The lawsuit specifically focuses on Section 18 of the legislation which was proclaimed by President Christine Kangaloo on April 24.

The section gives public servants three months to make a decision on their future employment upon the operationalisation of the TTRA.

Affected public servants have the choice to voluntarily resign from the Public Service, accept a transfer to the TTRA, or be transferred to another office in the Public Service.

The Appeal Court panel, one meeting today, will first have to consider whether to review Justice Lambert-Peterson’s decision or allow the judge, who is to be assigned to the case after she (Lambert-Peterson) recused herself late last week, to consider Dhoray’s application afresh.