Robin Hall was “unable to return” to Montserrat to serve as police commissioner because he had no professional indemnity insurance, the Governor’s Office has said.
In a second press release on the topic within a week, the office explained that police forces in the United Kingdom provide the insurance to serving police officers.
It is designed to protect police officers from legal claims and financial losses arising from acts of negligence, errors or omissions in the course of duty.
The press release said Montserrat’s government does not offer it to UK officers serving on the island, so Hall would have been exposed to an “unacceptable level of corporate risk”.
The Governor’s Office, UK Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office are working together to seek a resolution to this issue, it added.
Position revoked
Robin Hall was sworn in as Commissioner of the Royal Montserrat Police Service on 7 December, 2023, and left the island in early March to complete a training course, according to the Governor’s Office.
Governor Sarah Tucker revoked Hall’s appointment in a notice in the Gazette published on 27 March, saying it would become effective on 31 March.
“To clarify, a revocation is the legal act of recall or annulment of an appointment when no end date for the appointment has been set,” the office said in its latest release.
“This is standard practice and is unconnected with the reason why an individual leaves the post.”
In Hall’s absence, Roje Williams from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service served as acting commissioner for three weeks, and Sean Troy Perera for one week.
Alexander Enriles from the Royal Gibraltar Police, who was due to cover for Hall for a few months, was sworn in as acting commissioner, effective on 20 April.
Communication issues
A press release from the Governor’s Office on 28 March did not refer to the governor’s action and only said Hall had been unexpectedly delayed due to unforeseen operational policing matters.
A response to a press query from Montserrat Focus on 2 April also failed to say his position had been revoked.
Over two weeks later, on 19 April, a statement from the Governor’s Office finally said Hall would not be continuing as police chief “due to circumstances beyond our control”.
It did not mention the reason, and a response to a press query on 22 April simply said the circumstances were confidential.
Montserrat Focus has reached out to the Governor’s Office for clarification on the timing and accuracy of its communication and is awaiting a response.
