Youth and Seniority in appointment of Commissioner

Given the time which passed between his nomination and the consideration by Parliament, the rejection of Stephen Williams comes as no surprise. It does however suggest some lessons to be learnt. I can well imagine that young persons are likely to believe that their youth will work against them in the job market, regardless of their competence, experience and qualifications. I could also expect that, given the acting recommendation made by the Police Service Commission and the disclosure that Williams is 26^th in the “pecking order”, seniority, in any set of circumstances, has made an unexpected return to prominence.

What a pity if we ever allow people to believe that age – or youth- can create a disadvantage, when all other requirements are met or that, when process does not produce a desired outcome, then something must be wrong with the process. If that approach continues, then soon enough, more persons will join Shadow and Stephen Williams in singing “What’s wrong with me”.