KINGSTON, Jamaica – Attorneys representing embattled Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) member of Parliament for North East St Ann, Shahine Robinson, filed a notice in the High Court on Friday indicating that they no longer intend to contest a petition challenging her citizenship status.
A pre-trial review is now set for mention Wednesday before Justice Roy Jones.
Once the presiding judge accepts the notice filed by Robinson’s attorneys, the North East St Ann seat she now holds will be declared vacant and a by-election held.
Robinson’s attorneys had on Thursday informed Justice Jones that she would not fight the election petition brought against her by former People’s National Party (PNP) MP Manley Bowen.
Robinson’s decision to give up the fight followed the filing of new documents showing she holds American citizenship and had sworn allegiance to the United States.
Robinson apologised and said she believed she had renounced her US citizenship in 2006.
“Sometime in 2006 I became an American citizen by naturalisation. In June 2007, prior to nomination day which was on August 7, 2007, I attended the Immigration and Naturalisation Services Office at Biscayne, Miami, Florida, and handed in my United States passport with the intention to renounce my US citizenship.
“At the time, I was led to believe that this was a sufficient act to renounce my US citizenship so that on nomination day I was of the view that I was no longer a US citizen,” the release stated. (Jamaica Observer)
