Discarded ex-JLP councillor loses court battle

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a challenge by former Councillor Stephen Williams, who sought to bar the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) from replacing him as its standard-bearer in the St Margaret’s Bay division in Portland.

The court found on a reading of the constitution of the JLP that there was no serious issue to be tried.

It awarded costs to the defendants.

The party’s constitution allows for challenges to be made to a sitting divisional chairman and the mechanism allows for a selection process.

Williams had filed for an injunction on January 4, 2024 to bar his removal via an internal election slated for that same day. He was granted a 28-day injunction, which barred the party from holding a selection exercise in that division.

The injunction expired on February 1 and the matter was argued before Justice T. Carr and adjourned for decision on Friday. Williams did not make an application to have it extended until the ultimate decision of the court.

NEW CANDIDATE

Subsequent to that, the JLP’s Central Executive confirmed schoolteacher Clyde McKenzie as its candidate in the St Margaret’s Bay division for the upcoming polls. McKenzie was nominated on February 8.

Portland Western Member of Parliament Daryl Vaz, who had earlier filed an affidavit in response to the injunction on January 5, said the decision by the Supreme Court came as no surprise as there was no breach of the party’s constitution.

“We’ve always maintained that Mr Williams was the still the chairman of the St Margaret’s Bay division until the elections are called, even though a new candidate was named by the Central Executive of the party,” Vaz said.

Williams, a first-time councillor, was elected on a JLP ticket in the 2016 local government elections.

gareth.davis@gleanerjm.com