'Storyteller' denied leave to go to Privy Council to seek increased compensation for wrongful extradition

Jamaican businessman Richard 'Storyteller' Morrison who was wrongfully extradited to the USA in 1991 has been denied leave to go to the United Kingdom-based Privy Council to seek to get an increase in his $3 million award for compensation.

The Court of Appeal ruled today that his application was out of time.

In March, the Court of Appeal upheld the Supreme Court award of $3 million which the government was ordered to pay.

Morrison had appealed on the grounds that the amount was too small for the 22 years of  “living hell” he spent in prison in the USA.

He filed an application on April 18 seeking leave to have the matter determined by the Privy Council regarding the amount to be paid for the government's negligence and constitutional breaches.

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Today the Court of Appeal ruled that the application for conditional leave was not filed within the stipulated time, which was 21 days after the judgment was handed down on March 22, 2024.

The court said the application was not filed until April 18 and the court has no jurisdiction to extend the time.

Morrison was extradited while an appeal to the Privy Council against his extradition order was pending.

He was alleged to have been a member of the drug gang called the 'Shower Posse' and was extradited to face charges including murder and distributing cocaine and marijuana.

Morrison was tried and convicted for cocaine offences for which he was not extradited. The offences for which he was extradited were thrown out.

-Barbara Gayle