Pre-election drop in public service disciplinary cases

The total number of disciplinary cases treated by Heads of Department during 2012 decreased substantially, from 911 in 2011, to just 551 in 2012.

The number of disciplinary cases in 2012 - a year dominated by a political crisis and constant speculation on an impending election - was the lowest since 2009.

The Public Service Commission's annual report describes this decrease as one which defied the trend apparent in the three consecutive years preceding 2012, which saw a constant increase in the number of disciplinary cases handled by Heads of Department.  

In fact, the number of disciplinary cases shot up from only 463 in 2008 to 911 in 2011.

A similar pattern was also observed in 2007 (another pre-electoral year), when disciplinary cases fell from 713 in 2006 to 471 in 2007. The number of cases decreased again to 463 in 2008.

On the other hand, 86% of the total number of cases resulted in the officer charged being served with a penalty during 2012.

This ratio was the highest ever registered since the year 2000, when the authority to take disciplinary proceedings was delegated to Heads of Department.

Furthermore, only 9% of the total number of disciplinary cases handled by Heads of Department during 2012 were still pending by the end of the year. This ratio is the lowest level of pending disciplinary cases that has been registered in the last five years, with only 48 out of 551 cases still outstanding.