He was having no luck in the local courts, but Jeremy Enriquez and his attorney Anand Ramlogan are claiming a quote, "landmark and resounding legal victory," in the Caribbean Court of Justice.
They say they have, quote, "successfully overturned a critical ruling at the Caribbean Court of Justice, reaffirming the fundamental right of access to justice and clearing the path for a full hearing of their constitutional case before the Belize Court of Appeal."
This comes after three decisions delivered yesterday by the CCJ.
In a zoom press conference today, Ramlogan explained the context and significance:
Anand Ramlogan, SC, Enriquez's Attorney
"The Court of Appeal struck out and dismissed all the appeals we filed. We filed an appeal against the refusal to grant the injunction. We filed an appeal against the wasted cost order. And we filed an appeal against the judgment he delivered in the bias application without giving anyone an opportunity to be heard."
"The Court of Appeal struck off all three on technical grounds raised by the attorneys representing the Attorney General and the Election and Boundaries Commission. It was in those circumstances we immediately had no choice but to appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice."
"We applied for special leave and to our great surprise and delight, the Caribbean Court of Justice said that they will treat the applications for special leave as the hearing of the appeal on an urgent basis."
"Those appeals were heard. Mr. Peter Knox, King's Counsel from the English Bar represented me in the wasted cost order appeal and I represented Mr. Enriquez in the other two appeals. Today I'm pleased to announce that mere weeks after the hearing, the Caribbean Court of Justice has issued orders allowing two of the appeals."
"They have allowed the appeal with respect to the refusal to grant the injunction and they have allowed the appeal with respect to the wasted cost order imposed against me. It is in those circumstances the Court of Appeal will now be forced to confront these, the substance of these appeals and will have to address the elephant in the room, which is the question of judicial bias in this matter."
But, how does this put them any closer to challenging the voter's list - which remains mallaportioned?
Here's how Ramlogan addressed that:
Anand Ramlogan, SC, Enriquez's Attorney
"This is a battle between David and Goliath, and the law is the pebble that we have in our hand to slay Goliath. I am but the slingshot, and we are aiming to defeat the mighty Goliath. The population of Belize has trebled, almost quadrupled in the last quarter of a century."
"And there has been no form of redistricting to realign the malapportement of the electoral boundaries, to give substance and meaning to the letter and spirit of the Belizean constitution, which requires an equality of votes based on a principle of redistricting."
"That is a very serious matter that strikes at the very heart of democracy in Belize. And I am happy to be standing beside people like Mr. Jerry Henriquez, the Belize Peace Movement, Ms. Pitts, and others to stand for this larger and greater cause."
"It has nothing to do with politics. It has to do with upholding the rule of law and vindicating the Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, so that there can be an equality of votes consistent with what the forefathers of the Constitution envisioned for the people of Belize."
"And that is why I'm involved in this matter."
