CJ opens door for settlement of DLP dispute out of court

Chief Justice Leslie Haynes has urged the two rival factions in the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) to consider talks out of court to resolve the party’s leadership issues.

That indication came on Wednesday from attorney-at-law Shamar Bovell, who is representing a veteran DLP member who last month challenged the suspensions of President Dr Ronnie Yearwood and General Secretary Steve Blackett.

“The court does recognise that the institution is a very important institution for the country and is preparing an environment whereby we may go away and speak,” Bovell told members of the media outside the Supreme Court Complex on Wednesday morning, after exiting the hearing of the case which was adjourned for another month.

He represents Ricardo Williams who filed a certificate of urgency to return Yearwood and Blackett to their posts.

Though confident in Williams’ claim before the court, Bovell said his client was willing to have discussions with the other side, to get real results.

“My understanding is that my client and other members of the party would have also made some efforts to deal with the matter behind closed doors,” the lawyer said. “Remember that we are dealing with a very important institution in the country, so we will go away and do our work as the court guided us to do, but we also stand open and ready to have conversations – conversations in which we believe that this matter can be dealt with in other ways. But we do stand prepared to continue with our claim which we have all confidence in.”

Meanwhile, King’s Counsel Hal Gollop, who, in association with attorneys Brian Barrow and Emerald Griffith, is representing interim general secretary Pedro Shepherd, said his client will continue acting in that position while Andre Worrell – represented by King’s Counsel Michael Carrington and attorney-at-law Neil Marshall – will continue on as president for now.

Gollop said they had also been informed of the need to file additional documents.

“The court has given further directions and more documents have to be filed in the process and the matter was adjourned until July 23 for a hearing based on those applications which have to be filed,” he stated.

Yearwood and Blackett had been suspended by the DLP’s general council in May, and Worrell and Shepherd were chosen to fill their positions. When internal efforts to restore the two failed, Williams took the matter to court.

When it was first heard, Chief Justice Haynes ordered that Worrell and Shepherd remain in the positions for now. (JB)