Tommy Lee’s lawyer awaits AG’s decision on taking case to CCJ
Jamaica’s Attorney General is to decide whether the Government will become involved in a case involving four Jamaicans who were denied entry to Dominica in February.
The four are entertainer Tommy Lee, whose given name is Leroy Russell, his sister Tiasha Oralie Russell, as well as Junior Fraser and Mario Christopher Wallace.
The Attorney General is to determine whether the Jamaican State will initiate proceedings which the lawyer representing the Jamaicans, Bert Samuels, wants to file in the Caribbean Court of Justice, CCJ.
The issue was outlined in correspondence between Mr. Samuels and the Jamaican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was released to the media on Friday.
Mr. Samuels said his clients will be filing a claim with the CCJ, as stated in May, due to the inaction of the Dominican Government, in response to a request for compensation.
Mr. Samuels informed the Foreign Ministry that the matter had reached a pressing stage, where the intervention of the Jamaican government had become imperative.
He said this was in order to comply with a section of the CCJ’s rules, which states that a contracting party – which Jamaica is – must be named as the party to institute proceedings on his clients’ behalf.
Mr. Samuels has also asked the Attorney General to formal advise him whether his office believes Jamaica ought not be the party to the proceedings.
Tommy Lee claimed he was denied entry into Dominica and placed in inhumane conditions on February 23 before being forced to leave the island the next day.
The Government of Dominica said it took action in the interest of public safety.
credit: rjrnews