Shawn is a Consultant in the firm’s Litigation Department. Her main area of practice is civil litigation with a focus on judicial review and constitutional law matters. Other areas of practice include defamation, personal injury, negligence, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, wrongful dismissal and property disputes.
Shawn is currently involved in criminal and civil proceedings arising out of corruption – related charges brought against former Minister of Education Ruel Reid and former President of the Caribbean Maritime University, Fritz Pinnock, viz. R v Ruel Reid, Fritz Pinnock and Others (by way of fiat from the Director of Public Prosecutions); Fritz Pinnock and Ruel Reid v Financial Investigations Division; Fritz Pinnock and Ruel Reid v His Honour Chester Crooks.
She was admitted to practice in 1999 having obtained a Bachelor of Law degree (with Honours) from the University of the West Indies in 1997 and has practised both at the private and public bar. She has practised at the criminal defence bar and has obtained fiats to prosecute.
Shawn has appeared as Counsel and as instructing Counsel in the Parish Court, Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and at the Privy Council. Shawn has also appeared at the Industrial Disputes Tribunal and before the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights.
Shawn has appeared in a number of cases relating to the powers of the then newly formed Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM), such as:-
Gerville Williams and Others v The Commissioner of the Independent Commission of Investigations [2012] JMFC Full 1
The Police Federation and Others v The Commissioner of the Independent Commission of Investigations and The Attorney General of Jamaica [2013] JMFC Full 3
Digicel Jamaica Limited v The Independent Commission of Investigations [2013] JMSC Civ 87
Commissioner of the Independent Commission of Investigations v The Commissioner of the Jamaica Constabulary Force and The Attorney General of Jamaica [2015] JMSC Civ 20
She also appeared in Jamaican Bar Association v The Attorney General and The General Legal Council [2017] JMFC Full 02 where the Bar challenged the constitutionality of certain provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act and Regulations to Attorneys-at-law.
Shawn has served on the Publications and Social Affairs Committees of the Jamaican Bar Association and has published articles in the Jamaican Bar Association newsletter. She is a former Chairperson and Director of Jamaicans for Justice and currently serves on the Interim Board of St. Andrew Preparatory School and is a member of the Ministry of Education’s Character Education Task Force.