Professor Bain seeking more than $50 million in damages
Barbara Gayle, Justice Coordinator
KINGSTON, Jamaica:
The Full Court has reserved its judgement in the suit brought by Professor Brendan Bain who is seeking more than $50 million in damages arising from his termination in May last year by the University of the West Indies, Mona.
Professor Bain is suing for breach of contract, breach of constitutional rights and defamation.
He has asked the court to award him more than $40 million for damage to his reputation.
The Professor also wants the court to order the University of the West Indies, Mona to pay him for the nine months that was left in his contract.
He said as part of his contract he earned a salary of US$12,000 per month.
Professor Bain is seeking constitutional and vindicatory damages.
He is further asking the court to order the UWI to pay him notice pay.
Professor Bain is contending that his contract stipulates that he should be paid US$37,140 in lieu of three months notice of termination.
He told the court that he was only given three weeks notice, which Professor Bain noted was a breach of his contract.
Bain also wants a special award from the court for breach of his constitution.
Brendan Bain - File
Meanwhile, in making her closing arguments this afternoon, Bain’s attorney, Georgia Gibson Henlin, stated that the UWI issued three publications in respect of Bain’s termination and they attracted significant attention from local and international media.
Gibson Henlin further argued that Bain, who is a highly respected doctor with years of experience in the treatment and care of HIV, suffered significant damage to his reputation and great distress as a result of the statements.
She argued that Professor Bain’s right to due process and natural justice under the constitution were breached when he was terminated by the UWI.
Professor Bain was fired by the university in May 2014 on the grounds that his constituents had lost confidence in him after he gave an export report on behalf of churches who were opposed to a court case brought by a Belizean man who was seeking to challenge the country’s anti-sodomy law.
Brendan Bain - File