JFJ seeks reparation for Michael Gayle
published: Saturday | February 28, 2004

JAMAICANS FOR Justice (JFJ) will be appearing before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in Washington D.C. on Tuesday to argue the case of Michael Gayle and to make a case for reparations to his family, the civic action group announced yesterday.

A panel of lawyers, headed by Richard Small, and including Tamara Muhammad of Pump Court Chambers, London, England and Roxanna Altholtz of The Center for Justice and International Law in Washington will present the case on behalf of the family of Michael Gayle.

JFJ presented a petition to IACHR on behalf of Jennie Cameron, Gayle's mother, in March 2002.

JFJ said it argued in the petition that the Government was in violation of its human rights obligations in regards to the fatal beating of Michael Gayle and its failure to investigate, prosecute and sentence the State agents responsible for his death.

After a year-long series of arguments, the commission in March 2003 judged the petition admissible, the group said.

On Tuesday, its team of lawyers will appear before the commission to lay out the case for reparation to Gayle's family for what the group described as "his brutal and untimely death following a savage beating by police and soldiers."

The beating took place on the night of September 21, 1999.

"The JFJ team is expected to argue that the Jamaican State has a duty to prevent similar incidents from occurring again by ensuring the effective investigation of the incident and the prosecution of those responsible," said the group.

Arguments are also likely to be advanced as to the basis of the minimum acceptable reparation to his family.