Military person can run Panama cops

PANAMA’S police force is open to being governed by a military person according to  a Supreme Court judgement.

The decision notes a “lack of prohibition” in the law regulating the national police,

The court rejected a claim of unconstitutionality filed by attorney Carlos Bolivar Pedreschi against article 41 of the 1997 law that regulates the appointment of police directors.

That law allowed persons with a military background to be appointed to the position.

Bolivar Pedreschi had argued that the law violates the provision that Panama can’t establish an army.

There has been pervious criticism of police on duty dressed like combat troops.

But the t argument was rejected by Judge Harry Díaz, who heard the case.

Díaz ruled that appointing a person with a military background was not equivalent to establishing an army.

He also said that the court could not expand the interpretation of the law, since the constitution did not specifically prohibit those individuals from serving. reports La Prensa

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