In a lawsuit filed at the Hall of Justice, Port-of-Spain, yesterday, bp Renegades is petitioning that the steel orchestra be included to compete in tomorrow's National Panorama Finals. But first, Renegades captain Candice Andrews, through her attorneys, would have to convince Justice Maureen Rajnauth-Lee the band was not adjudged fairly because of "distortion and background noise" while performing at the pan semifinals on February 20.
Defendant to the lawsuit, Pan Trinbago, however, is relying on a digital recording taken that day by University of T&T sound engineer Yoichi Watnabe, with no disturbance. "There is no evidence to the contrary," said attorney Kerwin Garcia, for Pan Trinbago, as the judge entertained preliminary arguments.
In response, Andrews' lawyer, Theodore Guerra, SC, said with the level of technology today any background noise could be easily erased.
Guerra leads Ken Wright, Angelique Olowe and Richard Thomas. The nine-time Panorama winners, who failed to capture a spot for tomorrow's National Panorama finals, filed a lawsuit against Pan Trinbago, claiming noise from the DJs in the North Stand affected its performance. They placed 13th at the semifinals and as such failed to qualify for the finals in the large Conventional Bands Category. Yesterday, Andrews appeared with her lawyers in a late sitting in a Port-of-Spain Civil Court before Rajnauth-Lee.
Pan Trinbago was represented by vice president Bryon Serrette and secretary Richard Forteau.
Attorney Shivana Roopnarine also appeared for the pan body. In a preliminary outline of the claimant's case Guerra said Pan Trinbago was in control of the Grand Stand at the Queen's Park Savannah on the day of the semifinal. "Pan Trinbago had charge of the Savannah that day and had to ensure there was no disturbance," he said. After receiving instructions, Garcia said any DJ playing music at the back of the North Stand was "unauthorised."
The judge was critical of this. "Am I to believe that people just came in and did what they wanted at the back of the North Stand?" she asked the defendant's attorney. Andrews, in her lawsuit, is also asking that the semi-finals results be declared "null and void", and that Pan Trinbago be barred from proceeding with the Panorama finals. Rajnauth-Lee would hear submissions today before ruling on the lawsuit.