Shahine says no to legal bill

Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

There were objections yesterday, by the legal team representing Member of Parliament Shahine Robinson, to the bill of $17.9 million submitted as legal costs by the lawyers representing elector Manley Bowen.

The bill is in relation to the indemnity costs which Supreme Court judge Roy Jones awarded last year against Robinson at the end of the dual-citizenship case against her.

Registrar of the Supreme Court Rosemarie Harris, who is taxing the costs, heard arguments from the lawyers representing the parties.

Bowen's lawyers, Abe Dabdoub and Raymond Clough, have presented documents to justify the bill submitted, but attorney-at-law Nesta Claire Smith, one of the lawyers representing Robinson, is objecting to the hefty bill.

Taxation of costs is to continue at the Supreme Court on February 8.

After Robinson filed her notice of intention in September last year not to pursue the election petition, Jones declared the North East St Ann seat vacant and ordered indemnity costs against her.

Jones described Robinson's defence as an abuse of the process of the court.

Indemnity costs are usually awarded in cases where the court finds that a litigant has abused the process of the court or has not come to court with 'clean hands'.

Bowen had brought the petition contending that Robinson, the Jamaica Labour Party candidate, had American citizenship when she was nominated for the September 2007 general election.

Robinson has since renounced her American citizenship.

A by-election was held in the constituency in December last year and Robinson emerged the winner.

barbara.gayle @gleanerjm.com