A Belizean deportee from the US has been sent to the Caribbean nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis under a "safe-third country" agreement.
The individual - who has not been identified - alongside two Jamaican nationals, arrived in the twin-island federation 6 days ago on Tuesday, May 19th. Officials in that country stressed that the individuals were not deported due to criminal convictions, but rather for administrative immigration violations within the United States.
The St. Kitts and Nevis government stated that the Belizean national will receive the standard immigration status and legal accommodation ordinarily granted to CARICOM citizens.
Typically, Belizean nationals facing deportation from the United States are repatriated directly to their home country. From what we have been able to gather, it's news to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which had not been notified about the irregular deportation.
BDF Receives Medical Equipment Donation for Price Barracks Hospital
If you wondered why you were seeing the BDF Brigadier General and the Defence Minister all over the news it's because the BDF today received a donation of medical equipment for its hospital at Price Barracks.
We were at the handing over today; Jomarie Lanza reports.
Court of Appeal Upholds Landmark Customary Land Rights Ruling for Jalacte Village
On Friday we told you that the Court of Appeal upheld a decision made by the Supreme Court in the case of the village of Jalacte vs the government. The decision was originally made in 2021 by the then acting Chief Justice Michelle Arana. The village took the matter to court after they felt their customary rights were violated when GOB laid down a road from the Dump area to the edge of the village. Justice Arana had issued orders for the return of some of the lands and damages for depriving the community the right to use them and also for the damage caused to their lands.
Today we spoke with attorney Leslie Mendez who represented the village in the Appeal Case.
Leslie Mendez, Attorney
"I think it is yet another affirmation by a court that Maya land rights are tangible, that they are worthy of protection, and that the courts will be prepared to protect them and to recognize them in court. And I think it's important because in the larger context of the situation that we have right now and the fact that the Maya land rights law is still in development, I think it's important to still recognize, as evidence that even though the Maya land rights law has not been fully developed, protection and recognition applies, that the villages will be able to go to court and to get relief from the court if it is that these rights are not protected, in the event that they're violations, notwithstanding the fact that the Maya land rights law has not been developed because oftentimes there are many right now that are approaching the implementation of the consent order and by extension, the Maya land rights, as if they are not yet in existence, that they will come into existence, and that we will understand what they are until the law has been enacted. And I think that repeatedly that we have seen that courts are very much prepared to confirm and to signal, particularly to public officials, that protection applies now and that protection, in fact, should have been applying from long before."
"One of the novel points that the Court of Appeal was able to delve into and as well, that Justice Arana Delve into, is okay, There's a violation of property rights that are derived from Maya customary land tenure. But how do we value that? Before justice Arana as well as before the Court of Appeal there was an insistence on a focus on it being valued at market value, which is the same which is the assessment or the valuation approach that would obtain when it comes to private title, when private title is compulsory acquired by the government, You look to fair market value. But the argument was that with respect to indigenous land such as Maya customary lands, that is an inappropriate benchmark for valuation. And the reason for that is that Maya customary land rights are inalienable. They are not seen as commodity. They are supposed to remain for generations to come, and the types of rights that are derived from those are not commodities. They are not assets in that way. So, reference to market value would be inappropriate. We have to take into account the damage that has been cost to the government systems, to the spirituality, and to all of the the rights that are derived and from the collective of Maya customary land tenure."
Trinidadian Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes was retained to represent the government.
Senior Counsel E. Andrew Marshalleck Appointed to Court of Appeal
Senior Counsel E. Andrew Marshalleck has been appointed as a temporary Justice of Appeal for 6 weeks from June 1st to July 15th.
According to an official announcement: "The appointment of Mr. Marshalleck, S.C. follows the call for applications of interest from suitably qualified members of (The Bar."
Marshalleck has been practicing law over 30 years and said, quote, "I consider it the duty of all senior attorneys to provide public service when required and am happy to submit my application for the temporary appointment."
