D.P.P. seeks contempt ruling against Belize Times

The Belize Times newspaper and its fiery editor, Amalia Mai, are no strangers to lawsuits, but this time around the Supreme Court complaint is no mere libel case filed by the P.U.P.’s political opponents; it is an allegation of recklessness brought by the judicial system itself. The man behind the move is Director of Public Prosecutions Adolph Lucas, who earlier this week applied to the Supreme Court for permission to bring contempt charges against the newspaper and Mai. The decision to seek the injunction against the Times, stems from an article in its September twenty-seventh issue under the heading “Judges face-off,” in which the paper criticized the method of appointment of Manuel Sosa as Chief Justice, George Singh as resident Justice of the Court of Appeal and Justice George Meerabux as an adjunct judge of the same court. According to Lucas, it is his opinion that the Belize Times article suggested that Sosa, Meerabux and Singh, allowed themselves to be used for political purposes in the course of their appointment. Lucas’s application, which was filed on Monday of this week, further states that the article is “scandalous of the judges… and is calculated to obstruct public justice by bringing the authority of the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court and the administration of law into disrepute and disregard.” Lucas, in a telephone interview this afternoon, told News Five’s Patrick Jones that the three judges, when they took the oath of office in August, swore before God to discharge their duties impartially to all manner of people, and that for a newspaper to suggest that their appointment is part of a political ploy could be considered hostile. As to the order for committal against Amalia Mai, Lucas says it’s standard procedure in contempt cases if a guilty verdict is reached, that someone, usually the editor is liable to go to jail. But it’s still a longshot that the journalist turned diplomat will trade her high heels for prison sandals. The application must first be heard in the Supreme Court next week, and only if Lucas is allowed to proceed will a subpoena be served on the Belize Times and Mai.