The Privy Council has begun hearing the appeal for entertainer Adidja “Vybz Kartel” Palmer and his three co-accused who were convicted for murder in 2014.

The others are Shawn “Shawn Storm” Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St. John.

The four were convicted of the murder of Clive “lizard” Williams.

After efforts to overturn their convictions in 2018 were dismissed by the Court of Appeal, they brought the matter to the Privy Council.

The issue in this appeal is whether their convictions are safe in light of three main grounds of challenge.

The first is whether or not the trial judge should have excluded the telecommunications evidence relied on by the prosecution.

The second, questions how the judge should have handled the allegations that there were attempts to bribe members of the jury during the trial.

The third challenge questions whether or not the judge was wrong to invite the jury to reach a verdict late in the day, given the special circumstances of the case.

The two-day hearing is being held in the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, one attorney is contending that it would be devastating if the murder convictions were to be thrown out by the Privy Council.

Speaking with IRIE FM news, Attorney-at-law, Hugh Wildman said if the conviction is overthrown, it will cast a shadow on the Jamaican judicial system, as questions would be raised as to why the law was not applied, especially as it relates to the handling of the jury.