Kingston Jamaican dancehall star Vybz Kartel has been freed by the Court of Appeal, which ruled that he and his three co-defendants should not be retried for murder. This landmark decision, announced just a day before Jamaica’s Emancipation Day, marks the end of an almost 13-year legal saga for Vybz Kartel, Shawn ‘Shawn Storm’ Campbell, Andre St John, and Kahira Jones. However, Jones will remain in custody due to an unrelated sentence.
The decision was delivered by Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop, the newly appointed President of the Court of Appeal, who led a panel of three judges including justices Paulette Williams and David Fraser. The ruling was unanimous, signifying a strong consensus against the retrial.
The men were originally charged in September 2011 and convicted in March 2014 for the murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams, receiving life sentences the following month. Their initial appeal was unsuccessful in the Jamaican Court of Appeal, prompting them to take their case to the UK-based Privy Council, Jamaica’s highest court. In March 2024, the Privy Council overturned their convictions on grounds of juror misconduct, specifically involving juror Livingston Cain, who was found guilty of accepting a bribe to influence other jurors. The case was then remitted to the Jamaican Court of Appeal to decide on a potential retrial.
During the six days of oral arguments starting June 10, the prosecution, led by Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Claudette Thompson, argued fervently for a retrial, insisting that the defendants should not be freed due to a technical blunder or pretrial publicity. They acknowledged the breach of the defendants’ right to a timely trial but argued that there were remedies available and that the cost should not outweigh the value of justice.
On the other hand, the defense, led by John Clarke and Isat Buchanan, argued that the men should be freed in the interest of justice, citing constitutional breaches, pre-trial publicity, and the leaking of trial evidence. They emphasized the prolonged ordeal, Vybz Kartel’s significant health challenges, and the difficulty of finding an impartial jury unaffected by the notoriety of the case.
Ultimately, the Court of Appeal decided in favor of the defendants, concluding that a retrial would not serve the interest of justice.
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