Industrial Court says it shall not be challenged

THE INDUSTRIAL Court has emphasised that any Order it makes for compensation or damages including assessment, shall not be challenged, appealed against, reviewed, quashed or called into question in any court on any account whatever. It referred to Section 10 sub-section 6 of the Industrial Relations Act to make its point. The Court was ruling on an application for interpretation of an award by the Special Tribunal in a judgment delivered on June 12, 2002. The application was made by the Estate Police Association (EPA) in a matter with the Airports Authority  relating to the suspension for six months, and subsequent dismissal of Estate Constable Linda Games.

The EPA had fought the matter on behalf of Games. In its judgment on the dismissal matter, the Court ordered that Games be reinstated in her former position, and be paid all salary and allowances as a result of her suspension from September 13 1996 to March 15 1997 and damages in the sum of $130,000. The Authority complied with the Court’s Order, except that it did not compensate Games for the period 1997 and 2002, when her dismissal case was being heard — meaning that she was not at work for that period. This is where the association filed the application for interpretation of the award. The general secretary, Carella Cadogan, said her association was not satisfied with the Court’s ruling on the application. The ruling on the application was made by the three members of the Court, C Bernard (chairman), G Baker and V Ashby, members.