Kingston, Jamaica—JAJ Development Holdings Limited, a company owned by Speaker of the House of Representatives and Member of Parliament for St Andrew East Rural, Juliet Holness, has emerged as the victor in a legal battle against Dr Charlene Ashley concerning the rightful ownership and transfer of land located in Forest Hills, St Andrew.

The judgment was delivered on Friday by Supreme Court judge Justice Batts. The defendant, Dr Charlene Ashley, reportedly had counterclaimed for alleged breaches of contract and trespass but did not succeed on any of these allegations, except for a finding that there was some damage to terraces, which resulted in the award of J$1 million.

JAJ, in a statement on Friday, said the Supreme Court has issued a number of significant orders in favour of Holness, including a directive for the defendant to deliver a registered title to a specific parcel of land within 90 days. It said this land forms part of a subdivision identified in a survey prepared by Noel Shirley in September 2009 and is the subject of an agreement for sale previously entered into between the parties.

According to JAJ, the Registrar of Titles has been ordered to take steps to facilitate the proper transfer of title and assess whether existing titles should be cancelled and replaced. Should the defendant fail or refuse to comply, the Registrar of the Supreme Court has been empowered to execute all necessary documents on the defendant’s behalf to effect the transfer. Additionally, the court also awarded two-thirds of the legal costs to Holness’ company.

“In his judgement, Batts J said the allegations of intimidation and bullying levied against Mrs Holness, her agents and servants were not proved. He found that Ashley’s “upset and tirade” resulted from her failure to understand that the claimant was entitled to an 8-metre roadway. This victory reinforces what Mrs Holness describes as her longstanding commitment to fairness, accountability, and the protection of legal and other property rights. It also highlights the importance of upholding legally binding obligations and strengthens public confidence in the justice system. Mrs Holness has expressed gratitude to the legal team, led by attorney-at-law Rose Bennett-Cooper, for their diligence and professionalism throughout the proceedings,” JAJ said.

Further steps will now be taken to pursue the recovery of awarded costs and finalise the transfer of title in accordance with the court’s ruling.