Recent Supreme Court Ruling Provides Important Opportunities for Learning
Wed, 2018-02-07
Acting Commissioner of Police Paul Wright – The Bermuda Police Service (BPS) takes very seriously the important role that it plays in the safeguarding of children.
The ruling handed down by the learned Judge found that the Department of Child and Family Services made the decision that a young child be removed from the care of his parents for his safety on 3rd May 2017 and relied on the BPS to effect the removal.
However, the ruling also found that the removal of the young child by the BPS was an unreasonable exercise of its discretion under section 41 of the Children’s Act 1998.
The ruling is comprehensive and provides important opportunities for learning to be taken up by both the police and the other agencies and entities cited in the decision. The BPS is committed to doing so.
This will include making an assessment of conduct under the provisions of the Police (Conduct) and (Performance) Orders 2016 as well as providing appropriate training and guidance to ensure that police officers fully understand their powers and obligations under the Act.
