News
Karyl WalkerWednesday, September 11, 2013THE Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will on October 4 hand down a judgement in the case involving Jamaican Shanique Myrie who is claiming damages from the Barbadian Government.Myrie accused Barbadian airport officials of subjecting her to a demeaning cavity search and verbal abuse when she landed at the Grantley Adams airport in the eastern Caribbean island in March 2011.Myrie also claims she was detained in an unsanitary cell with another Jamaican woman before being deported to Jamaica the following day, despite not being found in contravention of any law.Lawyers representing Myrie are claiming BBD $1 million in compensation for moral and punitive damages to their client who they claim was discriminated against because of her nationality.One Barbadian dollar is equivalent to US$0.50.The attorneys are also asking the CCJ outline firm guidelines pertaining to the treatment of Caribbean Community (Caricom) nationals at airports throughout the 15-country grouping.Myrie has asked the CCJ to determine, under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, the minimum standard of treatment applicable to Caribbean Community (Caricom) citizens moving within the region.She claimed that the treatment she received at the hands of the Barbadian officials ran contrary to her rights outlined under the treaty and obtained permission from the Government of Jamaica to approach the CCJ directly on the matter.The ruling will be handed down via video conferencing as the court is headquartered in the twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago.Myrie and her lawyers will hear the reserved judgement in Kingston, Jamaica, while the Barbadian government will be informed of the court’s ruling in that country simultaneously.The court held a historic sitting at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston in March this year before moving on to Bridgetown, Barbados, to hear the evidence of Barbadian witnesses.Shanique Myrie, whose allegations of assault by Customs officials in Barbados last year, has turned the spotlight on how Jamaicans are treated at ports of entry in Caricom countries.
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Judgment nearing in Shanique Myrie case
