A last-minute agreement hammered out on Wednesday between attorneys representing People’s National Party (PNP) General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell, Energy Minister Daryl Vaz, and two co-claimants, narrowly averted a six-day defamation trial following a suit filed in 2023.

Vaz, former Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Member of Parliament (MP) for St Ann North Western Othneil Lawrence, and Member of Parliament for St Thomas Western James Robertson (JLP) had all filed lawsuits against Campbell over comments he made while naming them during a PNP meeting in Clarendon on July 27, 2023. The allegations in that broadside were primarily levelled at Vaz, but all three claimed they were “false, malicious and defamatory”.

The suit, subsequently filed in the Supreme Court by Vaz’s attorney Catherine Minto, had sought damages for defamation; exemplary and/or aggravated damages; interest pursuant to Section 3 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act; an injunction restraining Campbell from “further publishing or causing to be published in spoken word or written form the said or similar words defamatory of the claimant”; costs; and such further and/or other relief as the court deemed just. The matter was listed for trial beginning Tuesday, July 7.

On Wednesday, however, attorney for Lawrence and Robertson, Alexander Williams; and attorneys for Campbell, Shena Stubbs Gibson and Ruel Gibson, indicated to trial judge Justice Tricia Hutchinson that the matters had been “amicably settled” and furthermore “settled on the terms endorsed” on the briefs they held.

Speaking with the media following the adjournment of the matter, Campbell — who based on the settlement was required to issue an apology and retraction of those statements — said his comments were not intended to cause harm.

“Comments were made which unwittingly communicated something that I didn’t want to communicate because there was no basis for me to suggest anything that was being alleged, and therefore we sat down, discussed the matter, and came to an understanding. I offered an unreserved apology, a copy of which will be published,” the PNP general secretary said.

Stubbs Gibson, in the meantime, explaining the decision to settle, said, “at all stages we were prepared, looking to explore all options, we didn’t take any potion off the table, we were prepared to go any option that appeared the most viable”.

While declining to detail the terms of the settlement, Stubbs Gibson said, “It’s not unusual in matters of this nature for the parties to settle and fortunately that has occurred in this instance, and now we move on.”

The allegations made by Dayton Campbell in his broadside were primarily levelled at Member of Parliament for Portland Western Daryl Vaz, who has welcomed the apology. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Vaz, who had left the sitting before it adjourned, made no comment on the resolution reached, but Robertson and Lawrence said their political opponent had been pardoned.

“We are Christians with principle. I have had no bad interaction and I understand what the campaign trail is like, that is 10 months old and I am willing to apologise to anybody when I trespass on them and I accept your apology wholeheartedly and I also congratulate you on your recent nuptials and wish you all the best,” Robertson told a grinning Campbell.

“It is something we embrace knowing that we have known each other for a period of time. Dayton and I go way back… and I know at times Dayton can say some things that are very frightening, but at the end of the day we are here as grown-ups to show some level of maturity, and we have settled this situation in the best interest for our families, friends, and Jamaica by extension,” Lawrence said, adding “It is never about money…we have settled everything. The past is the past and we embrace the future.”

The Jamaica Observer understands that Campbell, in categorically apologising to Vaz and his family for the statements, agreed “not to repeat them or the innuendos and insinuations at any time in the future”.

“I intended no malice when the statements were made, but I accept that they had the potential to cause pain and embarrassment to Mr Vaz and his family. I hereby unequivocally withdraw the statements I made on the aforementioned date because, to the best of my knowledge, the statements and/or the innuendos and insinuations contained therein have no foundation in truth and are in fact categorically false,” said Campbell as part of his apology.

The apology, issued in his capacity as PNP general secretary, will be placed on all Campbell’s social media platforms in video format by midday today and must not be removed until a month from that date.

Campbell must also contract both national newspapers to carry the video recordings of his apology on their social media platforms by midday today and the print version of his apology in their Sunday, July 12 print publications.

Campbell, the Observer understands, has agreed to pay $1.5 million within six months of July 22 this year to settle the legal fees associated with the suit.