After the hearings concluded, a verdict is expected within the next 3 to 4 months, with the chance of a retrial seeming unlikely
Incarcerated dancehall icon Vybz Kartel
Jamaican dancehall icon Vybz Kartel (born Adijah Palmer) has appealed his 2014 murder conviction in connection with the death of Clive "Lizard" Williams through his lawyers. The appeal is currently underway in the Privy Council, where proceedings commenced yesterday at 10:30 am and concluded on Thursday, February 15th.
Following two days of hearings in the appeal of dancehall legend Vybz Kartel at the Privy Council, it is anticipated that a verdict will likely be reached within the next 3 to 4 months. The likelihood of a retrial appears slim given the comprehensive nature of the case and the considerable passage of time.
Vybz Kartel's Murder Conviction Appeal Underway in Privy Council Hearings
The Privy Council hearing commenced yesterday at 5:30 am Jamaica time or 10:30 am in London. During the break, the appellants' attorneys were deliberating on the potential impact of retaining the juror accused of attempting to bribe others on the panel.
The prosecution has told the Privy Council that should Vybz Kartel's murder conviction be overturned, they intend to pursue a retrial. However, attorneys representing Vybz Kartel and his three co-convicts have argued before the Privy Council against initiating a retrial. They contend that it would be impractical for the men to receive a fair trial under such circumstances.
His appeal is under review by the judicial committee of the Privy Council, serving as Jamaica's Final Court of Appeal. Jamaica and various other Commonwealth nations maintain this right to appeal.
Attorney-at-law Isat Buchanan, acting on behalf of Vybz Kartel, is presently in the United Kingdom to argue the appeal before the Privy Council. the appeal is scheduled to end today, February 15.
The defense took the forefront during the first day's proceedings, with Buchanan raising allegations of attempted bribery, potentially swaying the remaining jurors to deliver a guilty verdict.
In March 2014, Vybz Kartel, Adidja Palmer, along with fellow artist Shawn 'Storm' Campbell and associates Kahira Jones and Andre 'Mad Suss' St. John, were convicted for the murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams. Allegedly, Williams vanished after purportedly failing to return two unlicensed firearms to Kartel. Despite exhaustive searches, Williams's body was never recovered.
Since his arrest in 2011 in connection with the disappearance of his associate Clive "Lizard" Williams, whose body remains undiscovered, Kartel, aged 48, has been incarcerated in Jamaica.
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