Durrant Pate/Contributor

Justice Seymour Panton, former chairman of the Integrity Commission (IC), has launched a blistering rebuke of Government operatives, including Senate President Tom Tavares-Finson and other state legislators.

In a final salvo in his capacity as the outgoing IC chairman, Panton used his forward to the commission’s 2024/2025 annual report to Parliament to call out these government operatives naming a female legislator and a member of parliament, presumably Everald Warmington, a staunch critic of the IC and the justice as chairman. 

The 261-page report, which was tabled in the Senate last Friday (June 27), Justice Panton wrote, “In the Senate, the president (Tom Tavares-Finson) seems to have misinterpreted his role. As the appointed leader there, instead of encouraging compliance with the requirements of the Integrity Commission Act, he regularly displayed hostility towards the commission and on occasion was heard on radio calling for the resignation of the commissioners and officers.”

According to Panton, “He (Tavares-Finson) seemed to have been offended by the fact that the commission was submitting reports that called into question the conduct of some public officers. In closing, I wish to remind all public officers of the oath that they took on assuming office. They should always be conscious of the fact that their duty is not to a sector, group, party or individual. Their duty is to Jamaica, and their actions must be always in the best interest of the country. There should be no compromise when it comes to ethical conduct, and integrity in public life.”

Antagonistic stance by government legislators

The retired jurist pointed to some members of the legislature, who are part of the governing party, adopting an antagonistic stance towards the IC to the point where “they have regularly made false statements inside and outside the Parliament while libelling commissioners and staff members”.

“One female legislator went to the extreme of using an anti-social media platform to post images of members of the commission and attaching outright lies that many have interpreted as an invitation for us to be harmed,” he mused further.

Not stopping there, Justice Panton remarked, “even the youth arm of that party joined in attacking and libelling us. I regard this whole scenario as shameful. The actions of some legislators have really surprised and disappointed me”.

“The commission had good reason to write to the speaker in respect of the unethical conduct of a member of parliament. To date, that letter has not been acknowledged. Given the reason for the letter being written, it is surprising that the individual remains a member of the Parliamentary Committee that has oversight of the Integrity Commission,” added the retired Appeal Court president.

This is in direct reference to Warmington, the Member of Parliament for South West St. Catherine since 2002.

Calling out Warmington

“Not only has he remained a member, but he also seems to have assumed the lead role in the effort to dismantle the commission by removing the Auditor-General and altering the qualifications for membership of the commission,” the former chairman reasoned.

He opined that the commission would then suffer the fate of the Political Ombudsman, adding, “the committee seems to be prepared to dismiss the views of the Solicitor-General on the matter.”

Panton contended, “The practice of not acknowledging letters seems to have been copied by the Financial Secretary, who has ignored at least two letters sent to her by the commission. That’s not appropriate behaviour by a civil servant, especially one so highly placed.” 

In concluding, he admitted that this is his final annual message as chairman of the IC saying it has been a great honour and privilege to have served on Jamaica’s first comprehensive Integrity Commission for the past seven years, six of which he served as chairman, expressing pleasure with the work of the commission, not just over the past year, but for the entire period that it has been in existence.