KINGSTON, Jamaica — Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop gave a stern warning as day two of Vybz Kartel and his co-accused retrial hearing got underway Tuesday morning.

“School is over. We are now in court,” McDonald-Bishop told the court.

“We are now judges and you are now lawyers…This is no joke,” McDonald-Bishop continued.

Advising the lawyers to be intentional in their presentations, McDonald-Bishop added, “This case is set to end on Friday. We cannot go any further than Friday.”

The highly anticipated appeal hearing started on Monday morning. It is expected to last for five days.

This follows the court’s rejection of an application to release Kartel and his co-accused on May 30.

READ: Vybz Kartel, co-accused remain behind bars

Kartel, Shawn Storm, Kahira Jones, and Andre St John were charged with the September 2011 murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.

The Court of Appeal upheld their convictions in 2020. However, on March 14, 2024, the United Kingdom-based Privy Council, Jamaica’s final court of appeal, overturned the convictions on the grounds of juror misconduct.

It ordered that the Court of Appeal should decide whether there should be a retrial.

McDonald-Bishop, along with Justices Paulette Williams and David Fraser will decide the case.

-Kelsey Thomas