KINGSTON, Jamaica — Acting Director of Public Prosecutions, Claudette Thompson, says Vybz Kartel and his co-accused should not escape justice due to a technical blunder.

She was making her closing arguments on the final day of the retrial hearing ordered by the Privy Council on March 14, 2024.

Thompson told the court that based on the seriousness of the offence, the strength of the case, the public interest around the case, and the availability of witnesses, a retrial should be ordered.

According to Thompson, there are sufficient safeguards available in the criminal justice system to afford Kartel and his co-accused a fair retrial.

She argued that the ordeal suffered by the accused persons is not a sufficient argument to prevent a retrial.

“Accused persons always suffer an ordeal. Retrial is always an ordeal; in fact, a trial is an ordeal,” Thompson said.

She further argued that the criminal justice system has safeguards, so post-trial and pretrial publicity around the matter should not be a heavy factor in deciding whether or not there should be a retrial.

Thompson told the court that the appellants can still get a fair hearing by an independent and impartial jury and said there is a wide range of remedies adequate to address the constitutional breach.

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

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

— Kelsey Thomas