7 News Belize

The Vexing Problem Of Judgements Not Delivered
posted (January 14, 2020)
Last night, we showed you the Ceremonial Opening of the Supreme Court. DPP Cheryl-Lynn Vidal, the president of the Bar Association, did not attend. She and other senior members of the Bar chose to boycott to send a message that they are not pleased with the status quo.

They point several issues of grievance, including Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin sidelining the DPP from attending meetings of the Judicial And Legal Services Commission. The Bar has a pending lawsuit against the Chief Justice which will determine if he was justified, as the Chair of the Commission, to do this.

But, among the Bar executives issues are a number of pending judgments that he has not delivered in a timely fashion. They say that some of these cases are as old as 4 years. Also, at this time, he's is reaching retirement age.

According to the Attorney General, if he does not deliver these decisions before his tenure is completely over, there is the added headache that all of these cases will have to be reheard all the way from the beginning by a new presiding judge.

Yesterday, the press had an opportunity to speak with Foreign Affairs Minister Wilfred Elrington, who is the former Attorney General. We asked him about the predicament, and he said that due consideration must be given to the fact that Chief Justice has to be both an administrator and a judge presiding over weighty cases. Here are his comments on the subject:

Hon. Wilfred Elrington - Foreign Affairs Minister
"The question of outstanding judgments is a long one, and it seems to me that that has happened largely because we have not kept up with the changes that have taken place over the years. Certainly in places like the United States, the Chief Justice, certainly, I don't think, has the obligation to do both judicial work, and administrative work. Even those who have only judicial work have interns who help them to prepare their judgments so that they can give them in a timely manner. I think it is high time now that Belize employs interns to assist the judges in the preparation of their judgments so that they can be well researched, and delivered in a timely manner."

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize