In a significant development in Dominica’s legal and political landscape, Magistrate Michael Laudat ordered the imprisonment of former Prime Minister Edison James as part of the ongoing trial into an incitement case. The case involves senior figures from the United Workers Party (UWP), including James, who led the country from 1995 to 2000, former opposition leader Lennox Linton, and current UWP leader Dr. Thomson Fontaine.
James, 80, found himself in a holding cell at the magistrate’s court in Roseau today Febuary 16, 2024. The allegations against him stem from an event on February 7, 2017, where, following a UWP meeting, he is accused of incitement. Specifically, the charge contends that James engaged in encouraging, persuading, or instigating actions by words that could jeopardize safety or endanger public peace. This was in the context of calls made for the resignation of the current Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit.
The case has drawn attention to the tensions within Dominica’s political sphere, particularly between the ruling party and the main opposition, UWP. The trial’s continuation and James’s commitment to prison underscore the gravity with which the Dominican legal system is treating the allegations of incitement and their potential implications for public order and political stability in the country.
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