And for another perspective - we spoke with the UDP Senator and former Attorney General Mike Peyrefitte. As a part of the national negotiating team, he has and continues to work with Juratowich on ICJ matters.
Like his former leader Barrow, he condemned the Prime Minister for saying Juratowich misunderstood. He called that crazy:
Michael Peyrefitte, Senator
"I don't think if any government would want the opinion of Ben Juratowitch, I don't think it's a waste of money. But I would think it's a waste of money if you get that advice and you don't follow it. Because that is the person we are depending on for bigger things than just a definitive agreement. We are depending on him to represent us to the best of his ability when it comes to our very existence. So once you get that then you should follow that decision the question also then is why was that decision so secret why did it have to be leaked?"
"For you to say that a person like Juratowitch would not understand his assignment is nothing short of crazy. Because this is the man that represents us at the ICJ in Belize versus Guatemala, I hope he understood the instructions we gave him when we meet as a part of that team about Belize. I hope he does that alright. You would think that a person who holds that position would certainly understand what an assignment is. To be quite Frank I don't think the Prime Minister is telling the truth."
"Of course, of course Ben understood the assignment. What the Prime Minister does not like is the response, the assessment, the truth. Ben Juratowitch is not going to give the government an opinion the government wants. He's going to give them a solid legal opinion. They went opinion shopping to another attorney who they believed would have given them the opinion that they wanted, that is what happened. It is not a matter of not understanding the assignment because, then even in Douglas Mendez's opinion he refers to Ben Juratowitch's opinion."
