Dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel and his co-appellants have been acquitted for the 2011 murder of Clive “Lizard’ Williams.

The judgement was handed down a short while ago, with the Court of Appeal determining that there is no need for a retrial, freeing the men.

Fans and lawyers of the appellants have expressed satisfaction with the court’s ruling.

Kartel, whose given name is Adidja Palmer, along with fellow artiste Shawn Campbell otherwise known as Shawn Storm, Kahira Jones and Andre St. John, were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2014.

In March this year, their murder convictions were quashed by the United Kingdom based Privy Council, due to jury tampering.

The case was sent back to the local court for a determination on re-trial.

Last month, the prosecution and defense made submissions, after which the court indicated that it would make its ruling by the end of July.