Gov't had no choice - Atkinson on court injunction barring further police protest

Attorney General Patrick Atkinson says the Government had no choice in its decision to obtain an injunction from the Supreme Court to order protesting members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force to return to work.

In an interview with The Gleaner/Power 106 News Centre the Attorney General said it was illegal for members of the police force to take strike action as it was outlawed in the Jamaica Constabulary Force Act.

He said the Government could not ignore an illegal action taken by the police as it would send a wrong signal to the country.

According to Atkinson, the government took similar action against Junior Doctors when they took protest action in the recent past.

He stressed that the action to order the police back to work was not done maliciously or threateningly.

Atkinson says the government and the police federation must continue their negotiations.