Vybz Kartel Hearing: Court listing shows cases up to late 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Court of Appeal Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop has revealed that the Supreme Court’s diary has cases scheduled for trial by jury stretching as far as late 2026.
She made the disclosure as the final day of the retrial hearing for entertainer Vybz Kartel and his co-accused got underway Friday.
On Thursday, Acting Director of Public Prosecutions, Claudette Thompson said the court system should be able to accommodate a retrial of the dancehall star and his co-accused by 2025.
READ: Retrial of Vybz Kartel, co-accused could be accommodated by 2025, says prosecutor
Thompson was arguing the point regarding the length of time that has elapsed between the alleged offence and a new trial.
However, McDonald-Bishop noted that within the past six years, two cases that have been sent back from the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court for retrial are yet to be given a date for the proceedings up to this day.
McDonald-Bishop said the dates in the court’s diary for trial by judge alone are currently at late 2025 while for trial by jury are currently at late 2026.
The justice also told the court she would not be asking questions or seeking clarification during Friday’s session.
“What I leave here with unclear will have to stay unclear…I won’t waste my time this morning reminding anyone what they should do…It’s a matter for you how you all do your submission,” McDonald-Bishop said.
The hearing started on Monday and is expected to end Friday.
Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, Shawn “Shawn Storm” Campbell, 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
