A major turning point in the legal battle of Jamaican dancehall icon Vybz Kartel occurred when the Privy Council in the UK overturned his murder conviction due to misbehavior by a jury during the trial.
The 48-year-old musician, whose true name is Adidja Palmer, was found guilty in 2014 of Clive “Lizard” Williams’ murder on the Caribbean island and given a life sentence.
But following the filing of an appeal against the murder conviction before the Privy Council earlier this year, Kartel was granted a favorable resolution during a two-day session.
We're now on WhatsApp. Click here to join.
The Privy Council, which is the ultimate court of appeal in Jamaica and many other Commonwealth nations, came to the conclusion that the trial’s fairness was jeopardised by the inclusion of a disqualified jury.
The aforementioned juror was found guilty of trying to bribe other jurors after being suspected of doing so.
The appeal was heard by Lord Reed, Lord Lloyd-Jones, Lord Briggs, Lord Burrows, and Lady Simler, who concluded that it was dangerous to have the tainted juror continue serving on the jury that chose Kartel and his co-defendants’ fate.
Despite the fact that the murder conviction has been overturned, the Jamaican Court of Appeal will now review the case to see whether a retrial is necessary.
Renowned as one of Jamaica’s most well-liked musicians, Vybz Kartel has gained notoriety abroad by working with major American musicians like Jay-Z and Rihanna. One of the longest trials in Jamaican history, his trial in Kingston lasted for a full sixty-four days. After an appeal, Kartel’s sentence—which had originally been set at life in prison with a minimum of 35 years—was lowered to 32 and a half years.
