Judiciary to Receive Small Slice of 2015 Budget

Dickie Bradley

In two weeks the Opposition will go to the House to debate the Prime Minister’s budget for 2015-2016. It’s a complex document, at least to the layman, but it’s important because it charts the path of our taxpayer monies for the next financial year, in government departments and infrastructure projects.  For 2015/2016 Government projects that it will spend one billion, sixty-eight million dollars, and tonight we’ll take a brief look at some of the more notable allocations, like the Judiciary, for example. For the past years consecutive Chief Justices have made a point of asking for more monies for the dispensation of justice. This year, like those before, that call has not been answered.

Dickie Bradley, Attorney

“The judiciary is getting eight million, nine hundred thousand dollars. Last year they got eight million seven hundred; the year before that they got eight million eight hundred meaning that the government of Belize is giving no extra money to the whole judiciary which is a third branch, co-equal arm of the Government of Belize. The Executive is sucking up and eating up and wasting up what woulda be like almost nine…yo di look pan ninety-odd percent, but in terms of actual money, eight hundred and odd million dollars. If only…yo di talk bout eight and two. Ten out of one billion woulda be nine hundred and ninety million. Plus they got another six…you are telling me one billion sixty-eight million. So out of that weh dehn wah spend, eight…that mean the Executive di waste up wah awesome amount of money—all of it is not waste—but when you look at it, the Judiciary is a miniscule, you woulda know better that even less than ten percent of the budget that is.”

Hugh O’Brien, Former C.E.O., Ministry of National Development

“Well ten million out of one billion is just one percent.”

Dickie Bradley

“Yes so clearly they are getting eight million out of one billion and sixty-eight million. That is, this is absolutely ridiculous. The government has done nothing to improve the Judiciary last year or the year before and again this year, they have given them no money. I know the Chief Justice has been fighting for what is called a drug court, which can’t cost a lot of money…where people who are crack addicts or deh pan drugs and dehn di waste time di go up and court, you find a better way to treat them than put them at jail; they come out dehn go back in, dehn come out. This is a ridiculous and shameful indictment of the Government of Belize led by a man who is an attorney.”