Vybz Kartel and Co-Accused Set for 5-day Retrial Hearing in June

The Jamaica Court of Appeal has scheduled a five-day hearing starting on the 10th of June 2024 to consider the possibility of ordering a retrial for Vybz Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, and his co-accused in the murder case of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.

This follows the UK-based Privy Council’s recent decision to “quash” the convictions of Kartel, fellow entertainer Shawn ‘Shawn Storm’ Campbell, Kahira Jones, and Andre St John, and remit the matter back to the local Appeal Court to decide on a potential retrial.

As reported by the Jamaica Observer, Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop, who handed down the decision on Friday, set out the requirements for the June hearing: the appellants must file and serve their skeleton submissions by 6 May 2024, while the respondent has until 31 May 2024 to do the same.

Both parties are required to provide a written chronology of events relevant to the appeal, cross-referenced to the record or transcript, and submit four copies of their skeleton arguments and the chronology for the court’s use.

The decision to overturn the murder verdict by the Privy Council marked a watershed moment in Jamaica‘s legal history, highlighting the importance of skilled legal representation and the pursuit of justice.

However, DPP Llewellyn recently outlined that she will be pursuing a retrial given the details of the case.

In an interview with THE WEEKEND STAR, the deejay’s lawyer Isat Buchanan said his client is doing well.

Buchanan stated, “He’s okay. He is awaiting his freedom to get his medical treatment [and] to do his definitive medical surgery,” he said. “Nothing has changed, he needs the surgery and we know that [so] that’s still a live issue and that’s my concern.”