Warner demands apology, retraction from Rowley over alleged defamatory remarks
23 April 2025
FORMER government minister and ex-FIFA vice president Jack Warner is demanding a full retraction, apology, and compensation from former prime minister, political leader of the People’s National Movement Dr Keith Rowley, for statements at a political meeting on April 16.
Warner’s legal team issued a pre-action protocol letter on April 22, alleging that Dr Rowley’s statements falsely accused the former minister of being an “international scamp,” evading justice, and having been convicted and involved in financial misconduct.
According to the letter, Warner contends that these assertions are entirely untrue and defamatory, pointing out that he has never been convicted of a crime, has not avoided court proceedings, and has not lost any legal case involving the Centre of Excellence.
Warner’s attorney, Anil Maraj, claimed Dr Rowley’s statements caused serious reputational harm, especially during the ongoing election campaigning. Rowley was given 14 days to respond to the letter.
If no satisfactory response is received, Warner intends to initiate legal proceedings.
When asked for comment on the letter, Dr Rowley told Newsday, “My lawyers will read it with great care.”
According to Maraj, “The law recognises that robust political debate is fundamental to democracy. While politicians are entitled to respond robustly to criticism and are afforded some latitude in political discourse, this does not extend to making false statements of fact that damage reputation.”
Maraj said the remarks went beyond fair political comment and were presented as factual assertions without basis.
Warner’s attorney reminded of remarks from the Privy Council, which noted that in a free and democratic society, it should go without saying that public officials must remain open to criticism, and that any effort to suppress such criticism constitutes a particularly harmful form of political censorship.
However, he said, “This principle works both ways. Politicians speaking publicly must observe high standards of accuracy and fairness since the public needs to know the true position and is inevitably influenced by what is said.
“The right to free expression in political matters, while important, is not unlimited. Your categorical assertions of criminal conviction and evasion of justice were presented as established facts with no qualification.
“They went far beyond legitimate political discourse and cannot be justified as fair comment or honest opinion, as they lack the necessary factual foundation.”
Maraj told the PNM’s political leader that his remarks were particularly harmful because he was a prominent political figure with considerable influence during the heat of an election campaign.
He also said the statements were broadcast publicly and remain widely accessible online.
“The statements were made to secure political advantage in circumstances where you would have known that Mr Warner would not have had the ability to vindicate his reputation in time to undo the damage of your defamation before the date of the proposed general election,” Maraj said in the letter.
