KINGSTON, Jamaica— The Supreme Court has ruled in favour of three People’s National Party (PNP) standard-bearers in a legal battle against the St James Municipal Corporation, declaring the removal of their campaign billboards unlawful.

The court’s decision comes after a legal challenge brought by Andre Haughton, Senator Janice Allen, and Allan Bernard, who alleged that the corporation, led by Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, violated their constitutional rights when it ordered the takedown of multiple campaign billboards on April 5.

The removals were later formalised by a motion passed at the corporation’s finance committee meeting on April 9, which purported to authorise the removal of all PNP campaign materials across the parish.

In their response, the PNP candidates filed for judicial review, arguing that the corporation’s actions were not only procedurally flawed but also amounted to political suppression. The court sided with the candidates, granting both leave for judicial review and an injunction to block any further removals.

“This ruling upholds the principles of fairness, freedom of expression, and the rule of law,” said Senator Donna Scott-Mottley, opposition spokesperson on justice. “No public authority has the right to suppress legitimate political participation, and no Jamaican should fear political victimisation.”

The judgment is the latest in a string of courtroom wins for the PNP, which has consistently challenged what it sees as political overreach and misuse of state authority.

The party praised its legal team for securing the favourable outcome and commended the standard-bearers for standing up to what it described as an abuse of power.