Supreme Court grants injunction barring JLP from hosting St Margaret's Bay Division selection meeting

Justice Sonia Bertram Linton has granted an injunction barring the executive of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) from going forward with today's meeting to select a chairman for the St Margaret's Bay Division in Portland.

The application was made in chambers by attorney-at-law Hugh Wildman, who is representing JLP councillor for the St Margaret's Bay Division, Stephen Williams.

Wildman argued that under the JLP Constitution Williams was properly confirmed in September 2023 at a caretaker candidate meeting in Old Harbour, St Catherine.

Following the submission, Justice Bertram Linton granted a 28-day injunction, which will remain in effect until the parties return to court.

The respondents in the matter were not present in chambers today as Williams' attorney informed that the legal team was unable to locate the necessary persons at the JLP headquarters yesterday to serve the claim.

JLP chairman Robert Montague, general secretary Dr Horace Chang, and chief operations officer Sharon Hay Webster are respondents in the claim.

In his affidavit, Williams states that on December 27 last year he received an email from Hay Webster indicating that the party intends to convene a consultation/selection meeting to select a chairman for the St Margaret's Bay Division in Portland on January 4.

The meeting was scheduled to take place between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. at the Mount Pleasant Primary School in Portland.

Williams says he was invited in the email to participate in the selection process as one of the candidates.

He contends that the proposed selection is in breach of the party's constitution as there is no vacancy to be filled in the St Margaret's Bay Division.

He says he has already been confirmed for the division, therefore any proposed meeting to select a candidate is null and void and of no effect.

Williams outlines in his affidavit that he has written to Chang reminding him that the proposed selection meeting is in violation of the constitution and has invited the party to reconsider its decision.

He discloses that the party insists on proceeding with the election because on January 2 he was reminded by Hay Webster to submit indoor agents for the holding of the said election on January 4.

In the circumstance, he says he is constrained to seek the intervention of the court.

He says in his affidavit that at a meeting and gospel concert held on September 23 last year in Old Harbour, St Catherine, he was presented by the leadership of the party as the caretaker/candidate for the St Margaret's Bay Division of the Portland Municipal Corporation.

Williams, who has been a councillor for the last seven years, said Prime Minister Andrew Holness and other JLP officials were present when the confirmation took place.

Williams says since that presentation, he has carried out his functions as caretaker/candidate and, in so doing, incurred considerable personal expenses on behalf of the party.

By virtue of being confirmed in that position, according to the constitution of the party, there is no vacancy in that division, he contends.

- Barbara Gayle 

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