Vaz hails Supreme Court settlement with Campbell as 40-year vindication

Energy Minister Daryl Vaz on Wednesday greeted the resolution of a defamation claim he and two co-claimants brought against People’s National Party (PNP) General Secretary Dayton Campbell, casting the outcome as proof that a “politically orchestrated rumour” dating back some 40 years had no foundation.

Vaz sued alongside former Member of Parliament Othneil Lawrence and St Thomas Western Member of Parliament James Robertson. The action arose from remarks Campbell delivered at the PNP’s Clarendon North Western annual conference in July 2023.

Before a Supreme Court trial could open on Wednesday, lawyers for the claimants told the court the dispute had been resolved on amicable terms. The sides then executed a written settlement, which Justice Trecia Hutchinson Shelly endorsed. The full terms were not made public.

“I am humbled and, as I always say, God doesn’t sleep, and who God bless no man curse. Today I am being vindicated after 40 years with a very strong and unequivocal apology from none other than the general secretary of the PNP, whom I took to court for defamation.

“That rumour was started by people associated with the PNP, and for the general secretary to come and admit categorically that there was no basis for it is vindication after 40 years,” Vaz said.

“The apology is worded very strongly and, at the end of the day, I feel vindicated despite the fact that this has been going on for 40 years. Based on what I have settled – the monetary figure, the apology and the retraction – I believe this matter has now been settled once and for all.

“Most importantly, I admitted into evidence a copy of my passport from that period, showing that I was out of the country, as well as a transcript from Miami Dade Community College,” he said.

Vaz expressed gratitude to those who stood with him across the years, singling out constituents in Portland Western. He added that the timing felt right as he enters the closing phase of public life after more than two decades in politics.

Earlier, on X, he said he and his relatives were overjoyed at the result.

“...Today, as the Jamaica Labour Party celebrates 83 years, my family and I also celebrate a personal victory regarding the most distasteful political smear campaign launched against my family and me over the past 40 years,” he wrote.

Campbell, for his part, accepted that the claims he had levelled against Vaz and the co-claimants lacked any foundation.

“Some comments were made in which I unwittingly communicated something that I shouldn’t have communicated, because there is no basis for me to suggest anything that was being alleged,” Campbell told journalists after the deal was struck.

He explained that talks with the three men produced an arrangement under which he would give an unreserved apology. That apology is to appear in Jamaica’s two daily newspapers, and a video of it is to be posted on his social media channels. Campbell must also pay $1.5 million within six months of July 22, 2026 to cover costs linked to the case.

Robertson, who called Campbell a close family friend, said he accepted the apology, stressing their long acquaintance and the absence of any prior ill will between them.

“We are Christians with principles, and I have had no bad interaction with Dayton. I understand what the campaign trail is like, and I am willing to apologise to anybody when I trespass on them,” Robertson said, shaking Campbell’s hand.

Lawrence likewise backed the resolution.

“It is something that we embraced based on the fact that we have known each other for a long time. Dayton and I go way back and, at times, Dayton can say things that are very much frightening; but nevertheless, today we are here as grown-ups to show some level of maturity,” Lawrence said.

He framed the settlement as serving their families, friends and the country.

“It was never about money,” Lawrence said. “The past is the past, and we move on to the future.”

Pressed on whether the episode would make him more careful in public remarks, Campbell answered: “I am a creature who is always learning ... different experiences shape how you approach things ... so I will never say I am a perfect being. I am happy that this is behind me, and there is no hostility between Othneil and me.”

Asked what lesson the public should draw, Campbell said partisan disagreement ought not to turn personal.

“Contrary to what people believe, I don’t have any enemies in the Jamaica Labour Party. I don’t even have any opponents. The real opponents are the issues affecting the people. Politics can be polarising, and we campaign hard at times, but the real issues are social injustice, poverty, infrastructure, healthcare and education. Those are the problems we are trying to fix, so it’s never personal,” he said.

The claim had been listed for a three-day hearing. When proceedings were about to begin, attorney-at-law Alexander Williams, appearing remotely from abroad for Lawrence and Robertson, advised the court that his clients’ claims had been resolved. Justice Hutchinson Shelly inquired whether the agreement was already in writing and was told the parties were still signing. The case was stood down so the documents could be completed. Attorney-at-law Catherine Minto, for Vaz, later confirmed that her client had likewise concluded a parallel settlement with Campbell. The judge then endorsed the arrangements and closed the matter.

Campbell’s counsel were attorneys-at-law Shena Stubbs-Gibson and her husband, Ruel Gibson.

Asked why he had held off settling until the trial was imminent, Campbell smiled and said: “It’s never too late for a shower of rain.”

Robertson smiled back: “Showers of blessings.”