You're not entitled to automatic promotion just because of higher education - Court tells Chief Inspector who sued IGP
The High Court in Kumasi has delivered a landmark judgment in a case involving a Chief Inspector’s quest for automatic promotion based on his advanced academic qualifications. The court’s decision has far-reaching implications for the Ghana Police Service and its promotion policies.
Chief Inspector Samuel Krah had taken the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the State to court, arguing that his attainment of higher academic qualifications entitled him to automatic promotion to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).
However, the court disagreed, ruling that academic qualifications alone do not guarantee promotion.
In a detailed judgment delivered on Friday, June 14, 2024, Justice Kwasi Anokyi Gyimah held that the Police Service Regulations require competitive examination or special recommendation for entry into the Police Academy. The court noted that the plaintiff had failed to prove his claim on the preponderance of probability.
The plaintiff had argued that he had served between 25 and 30 years in the police service, and yet, his junior colleagues had been promoted to other ranks under a special amnesty, while he was denied the same opportunity. However, the court found that the plaintiff’s attainment of higher academic qualifications did not automatically entitle him to promotion.
The court’s decision is significant, as it sets a precedent for promotion claims in the Ghana Police Service. The ruling emphasizes that academic qualifications, while important, are not the sole criteria for promotion. The court’s encouragement to the plaintiff to continue writing the entrance examination suggests that merit and competition are essential factors in the promotion process.
This ruling comes as other similar cases are pending, including a lawsuit filed by 82 police officers in May 2023 against the Attorney General, Ghana Police Service, and the Inspector General of Police. The officers claim they were denied promotions and entry into the Police College after completing their studies under the organization’s study leave with pay policy.
The court’s decision is a clear indication that the Ghana Police Service will not automatically promote officers based solely on their academic qualifications. The service will likely continue to emphasize competitive examination and special recommendation as the primary modes of entry into the Police Academy.
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