By Racquel Porter
Attorney-at-law Isat Buchanan's two-year suspension, handed down Tuesday by a disciplinary panel of the General Legal Council, will not impact the appeals of convicted deejay, Adidja 'Vybz Kartel' Palmer and his co-convicts, now before the UK-based Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
There are a total of 16 attorneys appearing for Palmer, Shawn 'Shawn Storm' Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St. John.
The appeal is scheduled to be heard by the Privy Council on February 15, next year.
Mr. Buchanan pleaded guilty in early November to breaching ethics rules that guide the conduct of attorneys authorised to practice in Jamaica.
In August, while co-hosting a programme on YouTube, the attorney quoted from the lyrics of the song The Menace, by convicted killer and dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel, in which he directed that Llewellyn perform a sexual act.
The comment set off a firestorm of criticism, triggering Mr. Buchanan's resignation from several positions he held at the time and a complaint to the disciplinary committee of the GLC by Chairman Denise Kitson, KC.
The GLC chairman indicated that her complaint was based on the profane language used by Buchanan and that his conduct constituted a breach of Professional Ethics Rules.
According to her complaint, it was conduct that failed to maintain the honour and dignity of the legal profession and which tends to "discredit the profession and is unbecoming of a lawyer".
Mr. Buchanan was also fined $520,000.
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