Court Ruling Affirms Barrow’s Leadership, Says Attorney

On Friday, the Alliance for Democracy faction of the United Democratic Party (UDP) held a late afternoon strategy meeting, announcing that eighteen candidates will be running in various constituencies for the UDP. During the meeting, Albert Area Representative Tracy Taegar-Panton referred to Moses “Shyne” Barrow as the former party leader. However, according to Barrow’s attorney, Dr. Christopher Malcolm, this statement contradicts a recent High Court decision that reinstated the UDP’s leadership structure to its pre-Unity Convention status. He said that ruling affirmed Barrow as the legitimate party leader.

Speaking to News Five via Zoom, Dr. Malcolm addressed the matter, stating that the court had been explicit in its orders.

“That court has made a number of orders, two in particular, so far in this matter, and in one of them, certainly, the court confirmed, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that at present and until there was a contrary order of the court, the legitimate leader of the UDP is Moses “Shyne” Barrow, and the executive with him is what is appropriate,” said Dr. Malcolm.

He criticised any assertions to the contrary, suggesting they either stem from misunderstanding or an intention to mislead. “To conclude until the court determines otherwise that there is any question of Barrow being a former leader of the party and so on is plain wrong or a preparedness to be mischievous,” he said, adding that such actions could be viewed as contemptuous of the court.

Dr. Malcolm challenged Peter Knox, KC, to challenge his interpretation if they believed it was inaccurate. He also called attention to “mischievous videos and postings” that he claimed misrepresented the court’s ruling.

“It is in circumstance where I’m saying that the court should be respected and people must really measure in the scale the way the respective parties have been behaving and then determine for themselves who has been most respectful of the process and who it is that has shown some level of humility and balance, which is necessary in the circumstances,” he concluded.