Conviction Quashed: Privy Council sends Kartel case back to local Appeal Court

Basseterre, St. Kitts, Mar 14, 2024 (ZIZ Newsroom): Jamaica Observer is reporting that the Privy Council has ordered that incarcerated dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel and his three co-accused have their convictions quashed for the murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.

“The judicial committee of the Privy Council has unanimously concluded that the appeals should be allowed and the appellants convictions should be quashed on the grounds of juror misconduct and that the case should be remitted to the Court of Appeal to decide whether to order a retrial of the appellants for the murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams,” the Privy Council stated.

The UK-based Privy Council, the highest tier of the court system in Jamaica, handed down their decision on Thursday to have the convictions of Vybz Kartel, real name Adidja Palmer, fellow entertainer Shawn ‘Shawn Storm’ Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St John, quashed based on the arguments presented last month.

On February 14 and 15, the appellants presented arguments on whether trial judge Lennox Campbell should have allowed telecommunication evidence, which was obtained in a manner that allegedly breached Palmer’s constitutional rights to privacy, into the trial.

ZIZ will continue to follow this developing story.