A High Court judge in Trinidad has ordered the Commissioner of Prisons, Deopersad Ramoutar, to promote a prison officer after declaring unconstitutional an internal prison service policy that prevented Muslim officers from wearing facial hair.
Justice Margaret Mohammed has ordered that prison officer Arshad Singh be promoted to the substantive post of prison officer II forthwith.
Mr Singh had challenged the policy, contending that his beard was based on his religious beliefs as a practicing Muslim. He is also to receive compensation for the breaches of his rights.
The rules prohibited prison officers from growing a beard unless they got permission from the commissioner.
In her ruling, Justice Mohammed declared the three orders—one of which dates back to 1970—unconstitutional, null, and void. She also ordered that they be struck out.
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