(Trinidad Guardian) The High Court of Justice, Family and Children Division, has issued an injunction to block reporting on the high-profile family dispute involving Daren Mark Lee Sing and Laurel Dionne Lezama-Lee Sing.
The order was handed down by the Honourable Madame Justice A Ramkerrysingh on Friday following an urgent application submitted by the respondent, Laurel Dionne Lezama-Lee Sing, a former PNM senator.
In a move to protect the confidentiality of the ongoing legal proceedings, the court has strictly prohibited the petitioner, Daren Mark Lee Sing, the chief executive officer of the T&T Coalition of Service Industries (TTCSI), from publishing or broadcasting any information related to the matter before the court.
This includes any reference to the name, address, or image of the respondent as well as any details concerning the petition or applications filed.
The injunction extends to all forms of media, including newspapers, television, social media, and electronic platforms.
Only the petitioner’s legal advisers may be privy to such information until further court orders are issued.
The order also grants the respondent permission to notify national daily and Sunday newspapers, as well as television and other broadcasting platforms, of the injunction.
Copies of the court order may be served on the editor or senior news editor of any relevant media outlet. The petitioner is entitled to apply for the injunction’s discharge but must provide at least 72 hours’ notice to the respondent’s attorneys before doing so. In terms of procedural timelines, the respondent has 21 days from the date of the order to file her affidavit in support of her application.
The petitioner is then afforded 21 days to submit a responding affidavit. The court has ordered that the respondent shall not file any further affidavits without its permission.
Further hearings have been scheduled, with a directions hearing set for October 23, 2024. This hearing will focus solely on directions for the contested petition.
The case has been adjourned to December 5, 2024, where attorneys will present arguments on the issues raised by the injunction.
The court will also deliberate on the consolidation of related proceedings numbered FH3901/2024 with this matter.
The legal teams involved are led by Marcelle Ferdinand of J D Sellier & Company representing the petitioner, and Alisha J Ponambalam of Hove & Associates, representing the respondent.
This case, given the high stakes and public interest, continues to unfold under the close watch of the court. Further developments are expected following the October hearing.
On Wednesday, Lezama-Lee Sing resigned as a government senator. Her resignation follows reports that an interim protection order was granted against her after it was filed by her husband, Daren Lee Sing on September 11.
It was granted by the Family Court on September 19.