Shyne Barrow’s Lawyers Tell Hugo Patt to Cease and Desist Claiming Leadership of UDP

With Hugo Patt now declaring to be the UDP’s Interim Leader, the lawyers for Moses Shyne Barrow have written to him insisting that he cease and desist.  A formal communication, presented on behalf of Barrow, unequivocally states that he remains the duly elected Leader of the UDP, a position he secured through National Conventions in March 2022 and August 2023.  The letter, dated May 16, was reissued today in response to Patt’s earlier call for a boycott of Saturday’s National Party Council (NPC) meeting, emphasizes that Patt continues to serve solely as the 1st Deputy Leader of the party. It asserts that there is no “interim” party leader, and any such designation would be “ultra vires” – beyond legal power or authority – without first adhering to the official processes outlined in the UDP Constitution.  Central to Barrow’s argument is Article 9(7) of the UDP Constitution, which, according to his representatives, clearly outlines that a Party Leader’s role is only dealt with at a National Convention. The statement clarifies that Barrow’s resignation offer on March 17 was never formally accepted by any party official, nor was his office declared vacant by the NPC, a necessary constitutional step.  Crucially, Barrow’s team highlights that he formally revoked his resignation offer on April 23. Therefore, as per the UDP Constitution, the only mechanism to remove the Party Leader now would be a 2/3 majority vote at a special National Convention, as stipulated by Article 9(7).  Furthermore, the communication cites the recent High Court ruling in Claim 661 of 2025 as a precedent supporting Barrow’s continued leadership. It sternly warns against “further attempts at improperly removing the leader of the UDP, as there could be further legal consequences,” explicitly referencing the ruling that deemed all actions taken by the “Alliance for Democracy’s Convention” to remove him as “null and void and of no effect on the UDP.”  The letter was sent to Patt from the Pitts Pitts and Associates Law Firm.