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But despite the controversy that attended his departure, everything was sweetness and light when a special sitting to say farewell was held today. Bouquets of praise were volleyed at the proud jurist by leading lights of the legal profession. Janelle Chanona was there and here's her report.

Janelle Chanona Reporting
Today pomp and circumstance took over courthouse plaza as the Belizean legal community gathered to bid fond farewell to Dr. Abdulai Conteh. The event began with the inspection of the guard of honour at the foot of the court steps.

The bench and bar then moved into the Chief Justice's courtroom where invited speakers pronounced judgement on Dr. Conteh's legal legacy in Belize.

Denys Barrow, Justice of Court of Appeal
"We would like to pay tribute not only to the quality of his judgements and achievements as a judicial administrator but also the innate qualities of dignity, courtesy and humility which he displayed and which have serve to enhance the image and standing of the judiciary in the region and in Belize in particular."

Godfrey Smith, Senior Counsel
"He brought gravity, fairnessness, intellectual depth, competence and compassion to his job as Chief Justice. he swept away artificial and technical objections to standing many of which was brought before him so that people would have access to justice, to have their rights determine and adjudicated upon."

Jacqueline Marshalleck, President of the Bar Association
"We have relied very heavily on Chief Justice Conteh not only to manage our court system but also to take unto himself the most complex of cases, so much so that landmark is a word which we now expect to follow the name Conteh. As attorneys we know the decisions of the Chief Justice particularly in the area of judicial review have been closely followed all over the commonwealth Caribbean. Not every decision has been met by the public or the government or the bar association with joy but for the most part they have been met with respect."

Lord Peter Goldsmith, Former Attorney General of United Kingdom
"Your Lordship has shown a warm welcome to the legal profession from outside Belize, that I would respectfully suggest it shows a wise and just approach to the legacy of the common law because it benefits both who come and those who deal with those who come to have this cross fertilization of common law of scholarship of learning and of practice."

Dr. Conteh has been the longest serving Chief Justice of Belize since Belize gained independence in 1981. But when he took his oath of office in January 2000, the Belizean judiciary was besieged by politics and corruption. Today the CJ was credited for restoring the public confidence in the judiciary with fair and fearless decisions and for modernizing the administration of justice by implementing new rules of the court, code of ethics for the bench and introducing new protocols such as case management.

Dr. Abdulai Conteh, Chief Justice of Belize
"I leave office humbled but honoured by the privilege which was afforded to me and the singular opportunity to make whatever modest contribution I was able to do in making the first decade of the first century of the new millennium not just I hope a new century but a just century for all Belizeans. But as I said again the jurors are still out on it. I was however for me an abiding privilege to have had the opportunity to have served the people of Belize. People of Belize; I am Belize; You are Belize; We are all Belizeans, I thank you for the opportunity."

"I return the favour. Let me for the final last time; will the gavel which I have never done in my court and declare this special sitting closed."

And to his successor, Dr. Conteh had these words of advice.

Dr. Abdulai Conteh
"Be independent, not aloof because in my book, to sit in judgement over your fellow human being like a secret privilege just think of it, you could be at the receiving end of judgement so always try to be fair minded and even handed so that even the losing party would know that he or she lost not because they did not like her or him but because of the lack of merit of his case. I think, judge fairly and you will be judged fairly. That would be my advice; please keep out of politics. Every fortnight I try to have a judge's conference I tell them I have my political views, you have your political views but please don't bring them on the bench with you. You have your likes and dislikes, always be loyal to the oath you've taken to do justice to all manner of people without fair or favour, that's the advice I would like to leave with my successor."

It is clear Conteh's successor will have big shoes to fill. And in his absence, the attorneys and judges must now ensure that the judiciary maintains the high standards that Conteh leaves behind. Reporting for 7News, I am Janelle Chanona.

Conteh continues to serve on the Cayman Court Of Appeal. According to information we have received from government insiders, 12 persons have applied for his job.

It is also of note that on the heels of Dr. Conteh's departure, Justice John Muria will also demit his office in a few months.

Justice Sam Awich is acting Chief justice.