Lennox Linton to appeal – but senior legal advisor brands it 'hopeless'

Opposition leader Lennox Linton is hoping for leave to appeal after losing a defamation lawsuit last month – but the Dominican government’s top lawyer has called his case “entirely hopeless”.

On 27 April, Linton lost in court after judge Birnie Stephenson described his defence as "unsustainable and without merit and an abuse of the process of court”.

Linton is yet to apologise and is instead planning to fight the case back in the courtroom.

The application for leave to appeal is scheduled be heard on 26 May.

The case – brought by 18 current and former government minister, including Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit – relates to a 2014 speech given by Linton to members of his United Workers Party (UWP).

He alleged that government ministers were involved in the systematic rape young people in exchange for helping them with public funds.

“There can be no honour in a government that harbours rapist ministers, and uphold extortion of sexual services,” he said.

After the judge threw out his case, Skerrit demanded his cut of the compensation.

“So when I’m doing a little maths tonight there, I say ‘what boy, I might get $55,000? When you divide that [the compensation, $1 million] by eighteen it’s about $55,000. I want that money, I want that $55,000.

Judge ‘acted on evidence’

In a notice of appeal served to the claimants yesterday, Linton’s case rests of the grounds that the judge “misdirected herself on the facts and in law and thereby erroneously determined that in their natural and ordinary meaning the words complained of meant that all the claimants were guilty of committing grievous criminal offence of rape, harbouring rapists and prostituting young women.”

Judge Stephenson also “wrongly determined that the statements complained of were statements of fact only and not an expression of opinion or comment as pleaded by the defendants”, he added.

But the island’s top lawyer has dismissed his grounds for appeal.

“The judge acted on evidence. There were witness statements from all of the claimants, and there were witness statements and exhibits from Lennox Linton. So the judge, in the exercise of her case management powers and based on the application filed on behalf of the ministers, looked at the evidence of Mr Linton in particular as the burden of proof was him,” said Anthony Astaphan.

“She came to the conclusion that his evidence, and his case, and his defence were entirely hopeless.And that he was incapable of establishing either that ministers were rapists or that they were harbouring rpists in their midst.

“Mr Linton did not provide a single piece of evidence. Not even the slightest shadow of evidence to establish reasonable doubt.

“Linton is a pathological liar. In paragraph 127 of her judgment, the learned judge – having looked at the allegations that Linton relied on – said he not only adopted it but he embellished it.

“This is now the second high court judge that has found Linton to be a liar.

According to his affidavit, Linton is authorised to speak on behalf of Q95FM.