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PM Swings For The Fences With Updated Opinion From Judge Schwebel
posted (March 28, 2019)
Last night we took you to the US state of Vermont to meet former President of the ICJ, Judge Stephen Schwebel. He's the co-author of what is considered to be the authoritative legal opinion on the Belize's - Guatemala territorial dispute which was produced in 2001.

But, some have said that the opinion is 18 years old, and the international case law it relies upon could have evolved since then. And that's why the Prime Minister went back to Schwebel to get his updated perspective on the dispute.

The government held an elaborately staged press conference today to present that updated assessment - which the PM says - solidifies the position for a "yes" vote. It was unveiled today like a shiny nuclear warhead, launched and timed to win the war for the "yes" vote. But was it enough? 7News was there and Jules Vasquez reports:...

Jules Vasquez reporting
Backed by 6 flags and with former PUP Foreign Minister turned UDP government legal counsel Lisa Shoman and Ambassador Alexis Rosado to his side - Prime Minister Dean Barrow today made his big Yes to the ICJ pitch:

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"In just under two weeks, on Wednesday April 10th, Belizeans will vote on an issue that is of the greatest national importance since Independence. I simply cannot overstate the significance of the decision whether or not to go to the ICJ to end forever Guatemala's claim to Belizean territory."

And to back-up this big pitch, the PM presented this revised legal opinion from Judge Stephen Schwebel- a sort of bullet point update to the seminal 2001 opinion that he co-authored:

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"The question has been asked, though, whether that opinion, unquestionably authoritative when it was written, is still 05:09 as valid now, 18 years after, as it was then."

And today's press conference was to say that the former President has confirmed that the position remains strong:

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"First of all Judge Schwebel roundly and unambiguously declares his position that the Lauterpacht Opinion is as valid and dispositive today as it was in 2001."

He ends in clarion fashion: Belize has good title to all its territory including the islands and islets off shore, and the claim by the Republic of Guatemala is without merit and would be regarded as such by the International Court of Justice. 09:40

All that is contatined in these booklets which the referendum unit has mass produced and is circulating for maximum public eudcaiton impact. There is the entire 20 page revised opinion, and a two sided flyer breaking ti down into bullet points.

It reinforces what is known, but also offers something new - relating to Guatemala's rogue actions on the Sarstoon:

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"What is completely new, though, is Judge Schwebel's additional certification of the fact that Belize would be entitled to obtain interim relief from the ICJ if we vote Yes in the Referendum. Judge Schwebel says, and I quote, "...it would be open to Belize to apply to the Court for its issuance of provisional measures to direct Guatemala to cease and desist from its actions on the Sarstoon and .....respect the terms of the 1859 Treaty and Guatemala's own acceptance of the Sarstoon boundary by word and deed for some 150 years...."

And so while a yes vote offers some layer of protection from Guatemala aggression, the PM concedes - it's a personal issue for each citizen:

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"This decision whether to go to the ICJ should not pit Belizeans against each other. Respect will always be due to those that ultimately vote against. But all else has failed and if we do not go to Court now there really are no other options."

So, while it may seem like a soft sell, it's a fairly hard pitch:

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