Supreme Court opens 1999 session
Prior to 1974, the openings of the Supreme Court criminal session had very little fanfare, but over the past twenty-five years the ceremony has become more and more elaborate. Today, those who attended were treated to all the pomp and circumstance they have grown accustomed to.
Inspecting the Guard of Honour, for the first time as Chief Justice was Manuel Sosa who was appointed to office on August twenty-sixth, 1998. Following the inspection, those invited to the ceremony then filed into courtroom number one, where Chief Justice Sosa addressed the gathering. While most of his Lordship’s speech centered around a review of the 1998 judicial calendar, the Chief Justice did take time out to quote one of his predecessors about a problem occurring inside the courtrooms.
Manuel Sosa, Chief Justice of Belize
“”I have to remark sadly, that among our young practitioners there appears to be an attitude, where accuracy is sacrificed for speed and this can have unfortunate results. Since an observant judge will invariably send the practitioner back to his chambers to correct his fault and this causes delay and expenses to his client.” I am sorry to have to say that similar remarks are appropriate today.”
According to Senior Attorney and President of the Bar Association, Simeon Sampson there may be other reasons why some legal practitioners are not fully prepared when presenting cases.
Simeon Sampson, President, Bar Association
“As a professional person, this is not a perfect world, it is not an ideal world. As we go along in our respective practice, well I only do criminal work, I can speak for myself, that when I enter, when I assume a case in the criminal work that I do, I go prepared.
There are other attorneys in my view, and this is only an opinion, who stretch their services too thin. They do all sorts of things, civil and criminal cases and what have you and the temptation lies that because they are trying to do too much, they might be tempted to take things for granted and if the judge tries to be meticulous, they can be caught indeed with their pants down.”
Although this year’s ceremony was well attended by those in the legal profession there were some very prominent attorneys absent from the occasion including the Attorney General Dickie Bradley. Reports reaching News Five say some attorneys chose not to attend the ceremony because they disapprove of the way Chief Justice Sosa was appointed. But according to Sampson, he is not aware of any organized boycott.
Simeon Sampson
“Well, I will be factual in saying, in admitting that at the time of the appointment of the Chief Justice there were rumblings, indeed there were rumblings and there was even a move among certain sectors of the Bar Association advocating, the challenge towards the appointment of the Chief Justice but better reason prevail that the matter… As a matter of fact, twice when I was in Barbados, on other human rights conferences, I raised the subject to some senior practitioners in the Caribbean and their advice to me was, Sampson leave that alone, it can go. Anyway you are a small country, don’t cause any scandal in the judiciary, it is those who did the appointment at that time who caused the scandal anyway.
Although it is normal on an occasion like this for the Attorney General as the leader of the Bar to attend, by custom it has been so, but his action this morning, in my opinion, does not at all, as you have asked, distract from the splendor, purpose of it, of the event of the day.”
In 1998 there were one hundred and fifty seven criminal cases countrywide before the courts. Thirty-two of them were for murder, fourteen for manslaughter by negligence, six for manslaughter other than negligence, five for attempted murder, twelve for robbery and one for rape. In 1998 six hundred and nine civil cases were filed. In his review, Chief Justice Sosa said there was a significant two hundred and twenty four divorce cases filed, while two thousand, seven hundred and two persons sought assistance at the Family Court. So far the 1999 criminal calendar has eleven cases, ranging from murder to forgery. It was also announced during today’s ceremony that there is a need for armed security in our court buildings. According to Chief Justice Sosa, who cited two incidents, attorneys, judges and those who work in the legal service have become increasingly concerned about their safety.
