Suspended police chief Graham Power

HOME Affairs Minister Ian Le Marquand did not abuse his powers by deciding that police chief Graham Power’s suspension should continue, the Royal Court has ruled.

In a judgment issued yesterday Mr Power, who was suspended last November over the police’s handling of the historical child abuse inquiry, lost his application for a judicial review of the decision.

However, the judgment voiced serious concern as to the fairness of the suspension procedure apparently adopted by the previous Home Affairs Minister, Andrew Lewis.

The judgment was made by Royal Court Commissioner Julian Clyde-Smith, who was sitting with Jurats Le Breton and Clapham. It stated that at that time former Deputy Lewis was dealing with a person holding the most senior police post and had a long and distinguished career.

‘Bearing in mind the implications of suspension, we would have thought that fairness would dictate Mr Power being given a copy of the media briefing,’ the court ruled.