Tanesha Mundle

Lawyers for convicted murderer Desmond ‘Ninjaman’ Ballentine yesterday argued before the Court of Appeal that his case “should never have been tried”, claiming that years of delay deprived him of key defence witnesses and rendered the proceedings unfair. Attorney Robert Fletcher, who represents Ninjaman, said the more-than-eight-year delay before trial created “presumptive prejudice” because witnesses who could have assisted the defence died before they could testify.

As Steve Mitchell fought back tears inside the National Arena on Sunday, he knew he was witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

The Crown on Thursday urged the Court of Appeal to uphold the convictions and sentences of dancehall entertainer Desmond ‘Ninjaman' Ballentine and his co-accused, arguing that there was compelling evidence that they acted together to murder Ricardo Johnson.

The sentencing of David Smith, one of the men who pleaded guilty to being involved in the abduction and killing of politician Phillip Paulwell's 10-month-old daughter, Sarayah, and her mother, Toshyna Patterson, has been postponed until October 2.

Former police Constable Joel Lewis was left disappointed after the Privy Council ruled that his challenge to the Jamaica Constabulary Force's refusal to re-enlist him three years ago raised no arguable point of law.

Former police Constable Joel Lewis was left disappointed after the Privy Council ruled that his challenge to the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s refusal to re-enlist him three years ago raised no arguable point of law. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, in a decision last month, refused Lewis’ permission to appeal, ending his attempt to overturn the decision that prevented him from pursuing judicial review of his discharge from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

An international food distributor and importer’s legal battle over 2,237 cases of frozen chicken feet has ended in defeat after the Supreme Court struck out its claim against a local shipping agent. Worldwide Foods Limited had sued MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company Jamaica Limited, seeking damages exceeding J$9 million and US$33,000 after the frozen cargo was condemned as unfit for human consumption.

The Court of Appeal has found no error in Supreme Court Justice Althea Jarrett's decision rejecting Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness' bid to strike out portions of an affidavit filed by a senior Integrity Commission (IC) official, ruling that the disputed material was relevant and neither scandalous, frivolous nor vexatious.

The Court of Appeal has found no error in Supreme Court Justice Althea Jarrett’s decision rejecting Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness’ bid to strike out portions of an affidavit filed by a senior Integrity Commission (IC) official, ruling that the disputed material was relevant and neither scandalous, frivolous nor vexatious.

The Court of Appeal has found that the Financial Services Commission (FSC) had no proper basis to seize Stocks and Securities Limited (SSL) in January 2023. “The FSC failed at this first hurdle,” Justice Kissock Laing wrote in the court’s judgment, handed down on Friday, “since these were predicated on a necessary foundation that was, in fact, non-existent.”