Jamaica Information Service
Media Releaase
.KINGSTON (JIS) — Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. A.J. Nicholson, says the delay in the payment of $3.6 million to Shanique Myrie should not be attributed to the Government of Jamaica.
Miss Myrie was awarded damages totaling $3.6 million, following the Caribbean Court of Justice’s (CCJ) ruling declaring that the government of Barbados breached her right to enter the country under article 5 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.
In a statement to the Senate, today (June 13), Senator Nicholson said that the impression has been given in various quarters that the Government should take steps to secure payment to Miss Myrie of the amount ordered by the Court.
“The attempts being made in some quarters to ascribe responsibility or blame to the Government of Jamaica for the delay in the payment of the judgement are completely misguided,” Senator Nicholson said.
The Minister explained that the Court has made it clear that the parties to a case, where judgement has been given and orders made, are at liberty to, and ought to, apply to the Court in relation to concerns they may have in relation to compliance.
He noted that this was signaled by the CCJ in its judgement on May 8, 2014 in the Rudisa Beverages and Juices N.V and Caribbean International Distributors Inc. versus Guyana.
“Based on the Court’s directive concerning the manner for securing compliance, it is for the party, Miss Myrie through her attorneys, and not the intervener (Jamaica), to notify the court of Barbados’ lack of compliance. It is therefore the duty of the party to file any necessary report or application to the Court with a view to securing compliance by Barbados,” Senator Nicholson said.
However, the Minister said that the Government will continue to make political representation on the issue to the Government of Barbados.
“Now that the position has been made clear, the responsibility for delay in compliance cannot and should not be attributed to the Government of Jamaica. Therefore, any statements that would seek to place the blame on the Government for the delay in payment to Miss Myrie are completely misguided and should be withdrawn and never repeated,” Senator Nicholson said.