Kartel’s Lawyer Tavares-Finson Explains Their Next Move

Tavares-Finson said the decision has paved the way for the legal team that represents the convicted men, to take the case to the United Kingdom-based Privy Council within the 18 months.

The popular artiste Vybz Kartel was convicted in 2014 for the 2011 murder of his associate Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.

Last Friday, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, headed by the President, Dennis Morrison and including Justices Patrick Brookes and Frank Williams, announced their verdict just before 10 am.

“Getting a decision is very important at this point in time, because needless to say we will take the matter to the Privy Council,” his lawyer said.

Tavares-Finson said, two years since the appeal was heard and almost four years since the conviction. “In reality, we could have gone to the Privy Council and come back already in that period of time.” He responded after he was questioned about the time it took for the verdict to be reached. He thought it was an unprecedented length of time.

Tavares-Finson said, “What we did not want was a retrial. It was either this verdict or an acquittal and we have gotten one of the two and we accept it, it could be worse”.

The attorney insisted that the verdict was not the worst possible outcome, and said. “The judges could’ve given us an order for a retrial which would mean another four or five years in the court system in Jamaica.”

He felt confident that he and the other lawyers will get a hearing in the Privy Council and they will get it in short order.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Paula Llewelyn, said the time it took to arrive at a verdict was based on the complexity of the case and “a lot of voluminous material”. While she was being interviewed.