Local lawyer and cop join ombudsman
Sharon Roulstone
(CNS): Local attorney and two-time political hopeful Sharon Roulstone has been appointed as the deputy ombudsman in the complaints division of the newly amalgamated office, which covers freedom of information as well as complaints about the public service. Peter McLoughlin, a former UK cop who has been with the RCIPS for nine years and previously worked in the Professional Standards Unit, has joined the office as the senior police investigator and will deal with complaints about his former colleagues.
In a press release from the Office of the Ombudsman, officials also said that Charlene Roberts, who was already an employee in the Office of the Complaints Commissioner before the merger, has been promoted to the position of senior appeals and policy analyst. And Rene Lynch will join the office next month from the banking industry as the administrative and finance manager.
The release said that the new staff will assist the office in tackling its new areas of responsibility, particularly public complaints against the police and whistleblowing.
Roulstone has over 20 years legal experience and she has served on numerous statutory boards, including immigration and planning, as well as volunteering for charities and non-profits. She ran for political office for the first time on the C4C independent platform in 2013 in George Town and then again in May last year as an independent in George Town East, where she was beaten by her former C4C colleague, Roy McTaggart.
McLoughlin spent 30 years with the Greater Manchester Police before joining the RCIPS in 2009. He has served in the training unit, financial crime, CID and joint intelligence as well as professional standards. He has significant experience of investigating police misconduct and was involved in two internal police inquiries in other overseas territories.
Charlene Roberts has been in the civil service for over 17 years and is a paralegal, and Rene Lynch was a former relationship manager with Butterfield Bank.
Ombudsman Sandy Hermiston, who took up the job in September, coming to Cayman from public office in Canada, said she was impressed with the quality and commitment of the staff and was confident the right team for the job had been assembled.
“We look forward to continuing our work as guardians of fairness for the Cayman Islands,” she said.
Category: Local News
Appointing an insider with ambitions pretty much enusres that the ombudsman office will be less effective.
Congratulations Sharon. So proud of you. I know that you are qualified, smart professional and up to the challenge of the job. My hope and prayer is that at the end of the ombudsman’s appointment that you will be moving on up. Do not give a thought to the naysaying, crab in a bucket mentality. If they could do better they would.
I always worry about someone whose political manifesto started “I am a 10th generation Caymanian..”
Yeah…that and also someone who so strongly supports all that Trump does and doesn’t support where he needs to be held accountable for evident wrongdoing!
A lot of residents on Cayman are conservative and blindly follow Trump just as they blindly follow the church
Ration and Contradictions have no effect on them because it is what they are used to after years of religious conditioning
You are a President Trump hater for other than political reasons. Racist comes to mind. You would not in any way be suitable to be an ombudsman. Look it up if you can get past what your deep insecuritiy will let you.
You have concluded that based on one sentence?
Question: Are you a blind supporter of all that is Trump? That would then say much about you….given his track record and personality.
Calm down bobo. Donnie Whoppers can take care of himself. He already single handedly killed all of isis and soon he’ll start laying blocks on his southern border.
Hey, he should build a prison for him and his boys, and have Mexico pay for it.
It is vastly better to have someone with roots, than driftwood or a rolling stone with no fixed address.
About time to have a multigenerational Caymanian in such an important position.
Not apologising to sellouts in politics or the private sector for becoming evermore NATIONALISTIC.
Our great grand children will thank us for fighting against the destruction of all things Caymanian.
It is often difficult to try to enlighten a bigot that never bothers about getting the facts but I will try.
When Sharon announced her candidacy, there was some press about the fact she had given up her US citizenship in order to run in the elections, a citizenship she acquired at birth from her father even though she was born in Cayman. She gave up her US citizenship willingly, she was not challenged, she did what she thought was the right thing and made that choice. That shows integrity and patriotism.
To clear up any misconception about where her heart was, she boldly made a statement about where her real roots were and being 10th generation emphasised how deep those roots ran. What’s offensive about that?
Too bad you will never have the integrity nor the class of this lady. If someone’s proud statement about her roots makes you worry, we should all be worried about you. Are you not proud of where you come from or do you just resent the fact Sharon might have a prouder legacy than you?
Nice rush to judgment there, bobo, but I did know all that puff before. Doesn’t change a thing. Where I come from is a fact, like my height. It is not something to be proud of. One can be proud of acts not states. But a candidate putting the race of their great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents at the forefront of a manifesto is downright offensive pandering to the base bigots in the electorate.
Good to see Sharon in that capacity. She will do well
Dear Sharon,
On behalf of the children of the Cayman Islands, many of us would happily file complaints about the lack-luster, and very belated, investigation of CIFA. Who should those complaints be addressed to? Surely those that blocked you from candidacy are also busy squirreling away the loot.
Sincerely,
The Recovery of Our money
This is dumb
You don’t think this appointment was done with a view to anything being done did you? Surely the point was to appoint someone to ensure no-one with authority had anything to worry about.
Just another political wedge in this so Called unity government list of political accomplishments UK 1 Cayman status Quo 1 erryting Kriss salaries and titles officialdom happy as a lark those at the very top maintain their untouchable Status you know how it go Cayman?
Someone sabotaged your English old chap. I am sure you were trying to make a point. Do you actually know what it was?
I was thinking the same thing! Most times you can figure out what the person is trying to say but on this occasion, nope.
You can always tell when peeps nah really from round ya
I will continue to read CNS posts in the hope that one day, I may read an informed, intelligent and unbiased opinion. Occasionally, there are hints that it is possible.
Personal comments aren’t meant to be unbiased, as for intelligent and informed
yeah I wish for those too
The outrageous stuff that goes on in the back political offices of this little island. Just when you thought you have seen every corrupt and morally bankrupt conduct possible by our political parties UDP now CDP try PPM C4C CDP in cohoots with our ruling power to from a government calling itself a Unity government, playing pin the tail on donkey and hiring their cronies in institution to investigate their own misconduct. The outrageous part is they believe we don’t see exactly why and what the reason or decision is behind it.
I think they don’t care whether we see it or not cause chances are nothing will happen, nothing will change. So they feel secure in continuing to do what they have always done.
Ombudsman office is independent from CIG. Governor makes these appointments, not political cronies as you suggest.
Get your facts straight man, most of us with a brain switched on are tired of fake news.
Roulstone is someone with high standards, exceptional character and integrity. She has a lot of experience under her belt and the education to go with it. Well respected by many. Excellent choice.
So many great hires in the civil service over the past 5 years. I’m so proud of Sharon she will do an excellent job.