Lezama Lee-Sing gets injunction against husband, media

A HIGH COURT judge has granted an injunction which effectively prevents the publication of proceedings involving ex-PNM senator Laurel Lezama-Lee Sing and her estranged husband Daren Lee Sing.

Justice Allison Ramkerrysingh issued the order on September 27.

The injunction was granted ex-parte to Lezama-Lee Sing who applied for it on Friday, against her husband.

It restrains Lee Sing, or his agents, from “publishing in any newspaper or broadcasting in any sound or television broadcast or by any means of any cable programme service or on social media or any electronic means the name, address, picture” of Lezama-Lee Sing, “ in a manner calculated” to lead to her identification.

It also prevents Lee Sing, the son of former Port of Spain mayor Louis Lee Sing, from “publishing or communicating to any person, publication house, or on social media other than his legal advisers” any part of the petitions or applications filed in the Family and Children Division of the High Court. He also cannot publish or communicate any information directly or indirectly relating to the matter.

Ramkerrysingh ordered a copy of her order to be served on Lee-Sing and media houses, print and electronic.

This comes after an interim protection order against Lezama-Lee Sing, granted on September 19, by a master, was made public on September 23. Since then, Lezama-Lee Sing’s attorneys have been sending out pre-action protocol letters to media houses and local bloggers, warning about the misuse of private information.

On September 27, Lezama-Lee Sing’s attorney Farai Hove Masaisai told Newsday, she's trying to do what is in the best interests of her three daughters and will not be speaking on the reports of an interim court-issued protection order filed against her by her estranged husband.

Her attorney said her children have been subjected to “nasty” statements which have “caused some trauma.”

He confirmed his law firm Hove and Associates was working on halting the "misuse of the private information" since the interim court order was made public on September 23. Still, he noted, “We have to balance the children's mental and emotional health.”

Lezama-Lee Sing resigned as a senator on September 22. Her resignation, and the appointment of PNM Tobago Council political leader Ancil Dennis to replace her, was announced by the Prime Minister in a statement posted on the Office of the Prime Minister’s Facebook account on September 26.

Lezama-Lee Sing’s attorneys have contended that the issues surrounding the ex-parte interim court order from the Family and Children Court Division “is a private matter which has impacted the lives of three minor children.”

“The reckless dissemination of such information to the general public has put the mental and emotional health of our client and her children at risk.

“It has caused undue trauma…” Lezama-Lee Sing’s attorneys have said.

Ramkerrysingh’s order allows Lee Sing to apply, at any time, to discharge the injunction. Before he does so, he has to notify his estranged wife’s attorneys at least 72 hours beforehand.

Lezama-Lee Sing has to file an affidavit in support of her application to have the records sealed in 21 days while Lee Sing will answer 21 days after that. She cannot file a reply unless ordered by the court to do so.

On December 5, the judge will hear from attorneys if the two matters – the one filed by Lee Sing on September 11 and the one filed by his estranged wife on Friday – can be heard together. On that day, the judge will also hear arguments on issues raised in the injunction application.

A directions hearing was scheduled for October 23 for a hearing of the contested petition only.