Gov’t sacks chief forensic pathologist
THE Government yesterday sacked its controversial chief forensic pathologist, Dr Royston Clifford, who has resisted directives to accommodate independent observers — at the request of families — at the autopsies of victims of police killings.
The national security ministry told the Public Service Commission (PSC), which, officially, is the body that deals with the hiring and firing of public sector employees, that it did not wish to renew Clifford’s contract that expired in February. Clifford held the job for 17 years.
“It’s really a matter of how soon the commission meets and when they act on that request,” said Gilbert Scott, the security ministry’s top civil servant, who advised the PSC about the action against Clifford. “But as far as the ministry is concerned, it is with immediate effect.”
Yesterday, both the Independent Jamaica Council for Human Rights (IJCHR) and Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) applauded Clifford’s sacking
“The IJCHR has been concerned, for a long time, about the manner in which Dr Clifford approaches the performance of his function, in particular, his consistent opposition to the families of the deceased persons having the opportunity to be represented at the autopsy by their own medical expert,” said the council’s chairman, constitutional lawyer, Lloyd Barnett.
Susan Goffe, the chairman of Jamaicans for Justice, said that the Government should have made the move long ago and argued that the failure to deal with Clifford before now was an “indictment on the systems of accountability in the security ministry”.
Nonetheless, Goffe said that his departure was an opportunity for the ministry to completely overhaul its forensic department.
Clifford’s sniffy attitude towards independent pathologists looking over his shoulder has been an issue since 1999 when he balked at an observer being present at the autopsy of Michael Gayle, a mentally-ill young man who died after being beaten by police and soldiers at a roadblock.
Jamaicans for Justice had lobbied for the presence of the independent observer, which was authorised by the Government. Clifford objected to the doctor taking notes.
Clifford and his team also resisted the presence of independent observers at other autopsies, including the post-mortems of victims of the Breaton incident when seven alleged gunmen were killed in March 2001 by the police at a house in St Catherine. He raised similar objections at the autopsies for victims of the West Kingston violence months later.
But the issue came to a head recently when Clifford was reported to have blocked attempts to have an independent pathologist observe the autopsy of Basil Brown, a Rastafarian vendor who was fatally shot by the police outside Andrews Memorial Hospital in Kingston earlier this month.
Clifford was last week given a 24-hour ultimatum to state his position on a policy directive to allow observers and note-taking at autopsies if requested by the next of kin. He was given the boot when he failed to respond.
“We have come to a point now where we just believe enough is enough,” said the security ministry’s spokesman, Donovan Nelson. “We ought to make the kind of moves that would enforce that directive. We just cannot allow a situation to continue where people employed to the ministry continue to flout the directive of the ministry at will.”
Scott, the permanent secretary, said there were now two full-time pathologists on staff, supported by staff from the health ministry.
Another pathologist is being hired and recruitment will begin soon for Clifford’s replacement.
The unit, Scott added, has been functioning effectively without Dr Clifford, whom he has been unable to reach since March 12.
“He has not responded (to numerous written and verbal attempts to contact him) and therefore the ministry has to conclude that he no longer wishes to continue to offer his services,” Scott told the Observer.