The official opening of the Supreme Court; it’s the ceremonial highlight of the judicial year and for 2008, the members of the bench got to display their fancy new robes. Not quite fashion week in Paris but it did catch our eye.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
The morning started at St. Mary’s Church for a church service. And after
that, the high court judges in their new robes led officers of the court in a procession from the church to the courthouse. And at the Supreme Court, a guard of honor awaited the Chief Justice’s inspection.
And inside the courtroom – sitting for the first time without their white wigs – the Chief Justice explained that the symbol has no effect on the substance.
Dr. Abdulai Conteh, Chief Justice of Belize
“Only Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Belize clanged to wigs. Now Belize has joined the ranks of the practical majority who believe that justice can be administered without the help of a wig.”
But whether with or without wigs, the sight of a fully staffed bench put one constant complaint to rest.
Dr. Abdulai Conteh,
“The perennial shortage of judges, the attendant pressure on the available judges which was a constant refrain of mine on the occasion in the past, I hope will now be mooted.”
But according to the Chief Justice, those judges are dealing with more litigation than ever – and much of it relates to violent crime.
Dr. Abdulai Conteh,
“In 2007 ninety cases of murder were dealt with by the Supreme Court. This is a most disturbing state of affairs. Murder as a crime is unacceptable in any society and given the population and size of Belize, this is a most alarming and distressing figure. Surely, this must be an unacceptable state of affairs. Why this unprecedented rate of homicide in Belize?”
Hon. Francis Fonseca, Attorney General
“In many of our countries crime and the fear of crime is seriously undermining the quality of life of our people. This disquieting phenomenal is contrary to our traditional values and culture.”
And according to the Attorney General, the establishment of the Caribbean Court
of Justice as the final court of appeal will only bolster the rule of law.
Hon. Francis Fonseca,
“The Caribbean Court of Justice, My Lords, we in Belize are optimistic about the future of the CCJ. The establishment of this court is a landmark event in the history of the Caribbean. The court has the capacity to make an important contribution to the integration movement in the region and in the word of the Privy Council’s own Lord Hoffman, to give to the people of the Caribbean the full benefit of what a final court of appeal can do to transform society.”
The last time that this Attorney General would address the court ceremonially during this term of office – a term in which his government has suffered many consequential defeats before Chief Justice Conteh. But rather than complain, in this game political season, he complemented the court.
Hon. Francis Fonseca,
“I pay tribute my Lords to the independence of the judiciary. It is something we now take for granted but something we did not always have. The independence of the judiciary is the cornerstone of our constitutional democracy. Without judicial independence, there is no rule of law.”
