Carter, who lost her 14-year-old twin girls in the horrific Mahdia School Dormitory fire.  The court also denied a request by the lawyer, C.V. Satram, the state’s legal representative, for relief from sanctions, given a failure to file their defence in the time prescribed by the Civil Procedure Rules. The ruling was handed down by Justice Simone Morris last week. The judge denied an order of consolidation on the basis that the matters are already in the litigation process before two separate judges. The application for an extension of time to file a defense related to the lawsuit, which seeks over $900 million over the negligent deaths of one of the twin girls, was denied, in addition to the lawyer’s request for relief from sanctions.

According to documents seen by this newspaper, the application failed to satisfy the grounds that allow for extension of time to file a defense and the request for relief from sanctions. The document stated: “The record reveals that service of the statement of claim was effected on February 21, 2025. The time prescribed for filing a defense expired on 3rd April, 2025. The application [for extension was filed on May 7, 2025], more than a month after the expiration of the time limited for filing a defense and no circumstances were pleaded or are disclosed to establish that it was impractical to seek an extension prior to that prescribed time expiring.”

The document continued: “The explanation advanced [by the lawyer] was related to failure to file the defense within the prescribed time prohibits the granting of extensions in such cases. In any event, the mandatory requirements of Rule 27.02 (1) and (3) (b) of promptness and a good explanation for the failure regarding the granting of relief from sanctions were not satisfied.” As a consequence, the court ordered counsel for Ms Carter, mother of the deceased teenager, Renee Marcus of Eusi Anderson Chambers, to submit an application for default judgment. Earlier this year, Carter initiated proceedings against the state, claiming over G$900 million in compensation for the death of her daughters. (Kaieteur News)