AG’s Office Tries to Make Sense of Former Justice of Appeals’ $600,000 Claim

The attorney general says that she doesn’t know what to make of the former justice’s claim. Back in 2014, the People’s United Party and the Bar Association raised several objections to the reappointment of Justice Awich to the Court of Appeal. Two claimants brought a claim for his removal before the Supreme Court. That matter was heard by the Caribbean Court of Justice.  More recently, it was brought before the Belize Advisory Council. By that time, however, the former justice had already retired. AG Marin explained that if Awich’s claim has any merit then the matter before the Belize Advisory Council will become a live issue.

Magali Marin-Young

Magali Marin-Young, Attorney General

“I find it rather strange that this claim was filed, because if what the registrar is saying is true I don’t see that he is entitled to anything over and beyond his contract. So, but what the claim does, there is a history in regards to Justice Awich and Justice Awich as you know was appointed by the previous administration to the Court of appeal. He had sat prior to that appoint in the High Court or what was in the Supreme Court. He had a history of delaying delivery of judgments. So, when he was appointed the bar had opposed his appointment because of his history of delay. Nonetheless he was appointed and during his tenure as a justice of Appeals there were two claimants in the Supreme Court who had brought a claim for his removal before the Judicial and Legal Serves Commission. The Commission initially dismissed that matter. The parties felt strongly about it and went all the way to the CCJ and the CCJ sent the matter back to the Judicial and Legal Commission for it to be considered whether there was a Prima Facie case to submit to the Belize Advisory Council. They have now since, it being sent back referred the matter to the Belize Advisory Council. So if his case has any merit at all, we will have to also deal with the matter before the Belize Advisory Council, because that becomes a live issue.”