THE MOTION seeking declarations that several breaches were committed when the
police searched and seized documents from the offices of two lawyers in January
this year has been set for hearing on June 9 in the Judicial Review Court.
The date was agreed yesterday, when lawyers representing the parties appeared
before Chief Justice Lensley Wolfe, at a case management conference in the Supreme
Court. A three-member panel will hear the motion.
On January 27 and 28, the offices of attorneys-at-law Ernest Smith and Hugh
Thompson were searched and several documents seized. The police said the search
was to assist the Canadian Govern-ment in its investigation of drug-related
and money-laundering charges preferred against Robert Bidwell, 56, Canadian
national. Bidwell is to be extradited to Canada to face the charges.
Following the searches, the Jamaican Bar Association and the two lawyers filed
motions in the Supreme Court. The motions have been consolidated and will be
heard on June 9. They are seeking several declarations, one of which is that
there was a breach of the confidentiality which exists between lawyers when
the offices were searched and files removed. The claimants are also seeking
orders to quash the search warrants. The lawyers have complained that files
belonging to other clients were removed.
The Attorney-General, the Director of Public Prose-cutions and Supt. Carl Plummer
are named as the respondents.
