Bar seeks removal of Solicitor General

The ongoing crisis in Belize’s judiciary system seems to grow more bizarre with each passing day. Last night at its annual general meeting it was the Bar Association’s turn to pour gasoline on the fires of controversy. In two resolutions a majority of Belize’s lawyers asked the government to request the resignations of a pair of well known figures in the legal profession: Supreme Court Justice George Meerabux and Solicitor General Gian Ghandi. The resolutions were passed without any debate and no explanation was given in the Bar’s press release. There was no shortage, however, of off the record comments by various lawyers. With regard to Justice Meerabux the laws of contempt prevent us from offering viewers any of their learned analysis but that restriction does not hold for Mr. Ghandi, whose major offense in the eyes of the Bar seems to be that in his zealous enthusiasm to please his respective masters in Belmopan, he has ignored his professional and ethical standards as an attorney. How the government will respond to these resolutions is anybody’s guess, but history tells us that loyal and dependable civil servants are a highly esteemed breed regardless of which party is running the ranch.

In less controversial news the Bar Association elected a new slate of officers. Fred Lumor is this year’s President, Vice President is Rodwell Williams, Michel Chebat is secretary while Edwin Flowers will serve as treasurer. The Bar Association, like many local organizations, is politically fragmented. The P.U.P. supporters currently hold the majority of votes but on some issues, such as the resolutions on Justice Meerabux and Mr. Ghandi, there seems to be a strong bipartisan consensus.