Kartel’s Lawyer Is Confident His Case Will Go Before The Privy Council
Attorney-at-law Isat Buchanan, the lawyer representing dancehall mogul Vybz Kartel, is confident that his team will be given leave to take Kartel’s matter to the Privy Council in the United Kingdom.
Even though he did stress that there was no specific time frame given for the decision, he feels it might possible for them to get a response in the next two weeks. Kartel and the others who were convicted for the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams in 2014 are seeking to have the conviction overturned.
They are now seeking the assistance of the Privy Council in the matter after the Jamaican Court of Appeal upheld the conviction in April. During the lower Court appeal case, even though it was established that there was an oversight made by the original trial judge Justice Campbell, it was determined that charges should stand. Kartel must now serve 32 and a half years minimum before becoming eligible for parole.
The UK Privy Council is the fifth and highest tier of the Jamaican justice system. The request for leave to go to the Privy Council was heard in the lower Court by Justice Patrick Brooks, and began on June 29th and lasted a week. The men including, Adidjah’ Vybz Kartel’ Palmer, Shawn’ Storm’ Campbell, Kahira Jones, and Andre St John, were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Buchanan gave the Jamaica Star an update about the progression of the appeal.
“The Appeal Court reserved the judgment, so we are now waiting to hear their decision. We are hoping for it to happen in the next two weeks, but you just never know, look at what happened the last time,” he said, as he made reference to the two-year-long wait that they had to endure with the first judgment from the Appeal Court.
This time around, the attorney expressed a bit more confidence in the court as he told THE STAR, that he believes his client, and co-convicts Shawn’ Shawn Storm’ Campbell, Kahira Jones, and Andre St John, will have their case heard before the Privy Council.
He also expressed confidence in the laws provided by the Jamaican constitution.
“I believe in the Jamaican constitution. The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms (Constitutional Amendment) Act, 2011, is revolutionary in upholding human rights.”
Following their last appeal, Campbell and Johns’s sentences were also reduced. Campbell must now serve 22 years and six months, and St John’s new sentence was calculated to be 27 years and six months.