U.D.P. Leadership Battle Heats Up with Court Injunction

Attorney Sheena Pitts, who says she also serves as the interim chair of the United Democratic Party (U.D.P.), spoke of the legal proceedings that took place in court this morning. Pitts explained that Opposition Leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow had filed two claims—one for trespass and another for an urgent ex parte interim injunction. Both were aimed at vacating the U.D.P. headquarters. According to Pitts, the court did not grant the ex parte application without hearing from both sides. Pitts added that the court stressed that the interim relief granted is temporary and does not affect the validity of the October 20, 2024, U.D.P. convention, which affirmed Taegar-Panton’s leadership

“What happened this morning is an interim injunctive relief, temporary. It is not permanent. And what were discussed or argued this morning has nothing to do with the honourable party leader; that has not been argued. And so there is no room for suggestion that anything changes the validity of the October 20th, 2024 convention and the results there from. So the interim injunction does not change the fact that honourable Panton is the interim party leader.” 

According to Pitts, during the hearing, Tracy Taegar-Panton sought an extension of time to finalise her legal representation from outside the jurisdiction, but the court denied the request and proceeded with the matter. Pitts explained that the issue of trespass hinges on authority, and the U.D.P. argues that they have the legal right to the headquarters, disputing the trespass claim.

The court encouraged both parties to work together to clarify the core issue, which centres on whether Moses “Shyne” Barrow remains the party leader. Pitts said, “His position was one of complete denial that he has been recalled. His position is that he is still the party leader, and I’m sure you can appreciate it if you have pleadings from one person saying he is the party leader and that this group just besieged the headquarters, you will be inclined to consider,  hmm without having the opportunity to look at evidence from the other side, pleadings from the other side, you would be inclined to exercise your discretion to say, let me do this in the interim, just in case, so that I can preserve what may obtain for one party. But what is not lost is that the court is saying, because this is an interim relief, the other party still has an opportunity to address this temporary injunctive relief.” 

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Pitts stressed that the interim injunction is temporary and does not change the fact that Taegar-Panton remains the duly elected interim leader.

“All is not lost. This is an interim, temporary solution before the court can make any determination which must involve the validity of that convention. So, any invitation to jump from an injunction to it meaning that Shyne is still the leader would be premature because the court has not made that determination.  Substantive arguments were not heard in relation to that this morning.”