Guyana Chief Justice orders mediation in wrongful imprisonment suit filed by Jamaican woman

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – Guyana’s acting Chief Justice on Thursday issued an order for mediation for the multi-million-dollar lawsuit which was filed against the State by a Jamaican woman who was wrongfully imprisoned.

Darren Wade, the attorney representing Sandra Russell, is seeking GUY$10 million for every day that she was held in custody.

Russell, 54, spent three and a half months behind bars on a marijuana conviction and on her release she was handed over to immigration for deportation.

However, she was detained and spent eight months in custody.

The request for mediation was put forward by the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Chief Justice ordered same.

It’s reported that in 2018 Russell pleaded guilty to the drug trafficking charge after being found with 70 grams of marijuana.

In her lawsuit, she complained about the condition of the prison and lock-up facilities for women and said she fell ill on a number of occasions. 

She contended that she was held against her will and was also wrongfully imprisoned.

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