Retaliation Not A Defence In Defamation, Simpson Miller's Attorney Tells Holness

By: Admin

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Bert Samuels, the attorney representing the Prime Minister is now crafting his next move after Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Leader Andrew Holness said he would not apologise to Portia Simpson Miller for comments he made about her.

This morning, Holness' attorney George Soutar responded to Samuels rejecting the demand for an apology declaring that Holness was ready to defend his claim.

READ: Holness says he will not apologise to Simpson Miller

He also cited similar comments made by Simpson Miller against Holness.

According to Samuels, Holness' response through his lawyer seeks to rely on justification for the comment.

"However, in all my years of learning in the area of defamation, a statement made in retaliation is not capable of use as a defence," Samuels said.

"The Opposition Leader's reference to the statement made earlier by the Prime Minister as an excuse for his alleged defamatory utterances is unfounded in law", he insisted.