The Privy Council has dismissed the court appeal against the T&T Revenue Authority.

In a ruling delivered today, the Council determined that the T&T Revenue Authority Act does not breach the Constitution.

It also said, “There is no suggestion that the creation of the Authority was a device or a sham, and there are effective safeguards to protect the staff and officers of the Authority and members of the public from executive interference.”

Finance Minister Colm Imbert believes the judgment has shown there is no merit to allegations that the Authority could be inherently susceptible to political interference from the Finance Minister.

In a media release, he says the Privy Council also confirmed that there is no constitutional prohibition against abolition of posts in the public service by Parliament.

It added that, “The appeal concerns the removal of public offices from the public service, and not the removal of public officers from officers, which is vested in the Public Service Commission.”

Mr Imbert says, in light of the Privy Council decision, government intends to take all lawful steps to quickly operationalize the T&T Revenue Authority.

The Privy Council case was “Terrisa Dhoray v. The Attorney General and the Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority.”