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Appeal Court rules lawsuit by 81-y-o woman against NWA, Portland MC should be heard

Published:Thursday | July 2, 2020 | 12:00 AM

The Court of Appeal has ruled that the civil suit that 81-year-old Alice McPherson of Port Antonio, Portland, has brought against the National Works Agency (NWA) and the Portland Municipal Corporation must be heard in the Supreme Court.

McPherson’s claim was struck out last year in the Supreme Court because neither she nor her lawyer was present at a case management conference.

It was reported that the absence was due to a lack of communication between the court office and McPherson.

Attempts by McPherson to have her case relisted were refused and she filed an appeal.

Attorney-at-law Hugh Wildman and Sasha Lee Cunningham argued yesterday that the judge, in refusing to have the case relisted, had applied the wrong principle and the Court of Appeal agreed.

McPherson is seeking to recover $4 million from the two defendants for trespass.

She is contending that as a result of road repairs in 2011, an excessive amount of water came on to her property in Port Antonio, causing severe damage.

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