In a significant development within Barbados’ judicial system, the Court of Appeal has postponed convicted murderer Haniyfa Reza White’s leave to appeal application until March 2026, granting her legal team additional time to rectify procedural deficiencies in their submission.
While White received her criminal sentence in a nearby courtroom, appellate proceedings encountered a temporary halt as Chief Justice The Most Honourable Leslie Haynes identified multiple substantive issues requiring resolution. The court demonstrated judicial flexibility by allowing White’s attorney, Lalu Hanuman, to reorganize the application framework and ensure proper documentation of all case filings.
White seeks to challenge the Caribbean Court of Justice’s endorsement of the Court of Appeal’s May 13th ruling, which previously dismissed her attempt to stay criminal proceedings in the No. 5 Supreme Court. The defendant, represented by Hanuman, has pursued multiple legal avenues including constitutional motions arguing that extensive trial delays—dating back to the 2007 murder of Julene Bryan—have compromised her right to a fair hearing.
Principal State Counsel Jared Richards represented the prosecution during these proceedings. The court has established a revised timeline requiring White’s legal team to file written submissions by February 13, 2026, with the state’s response due by February 27th. The case will reconvene on March 19, 2026.
This development follows earlier judicial disagreements regarding trial continuity. Justice Corlita Babb-Schaefer previously recommended case dismissal due to constitutional violations, while Justice Pamela Beckles elected to proceed with trial proceedings—a decision upheld by the appellate court comprising Chief Justice Haynes and Justices Francis Belle and Jacqueline Cornelius-Thorne.