Justice Awich to go before the Belize Advisory Council?

Magali Marin Young

Justice Abel found “that the evidence put before the JLSC was capable of amounting to and therefore could have amounted to misbehavior. Likewise the question of inability to discharge the functions of the office related to the office of the Court of Appeal.” It is good news for the Claimants, says Attorney Magali Marin Young, because it lends credibility to the concerns of Justice Awich sitting on its cases. According to Young, the Judicial and Legal Services Commission is now duty-bound to refer the matter to the Belize Advisory Council.

Magali Marin Young, Attorney

“The case today is…one of the grounds of appeal before the Caribbean Court of Justice concerns Mister Justice Awich….while he was newly appointed to the Court of Appeal sitting on the very appeal concerning the nationalization of B.T.L.  And these same parties, British Caribbean Bank and the Employees Trust, as you know their properties were expropriated under the nationalizations that took place in 2011. With Mister Justice Awich sitting on the appeal, the appellants applied to the Court of Appeal to have Mister Justice Awich recuse himself because during the appeal, this complaint was a live issue—it had already been made to the Judicial and Legal Services Commission—and the appellants felt in that regard, they would not…that Mister Awich sitting on the appeal knowing that the appellants had filed this complaint against him could result in a decision that was unfavorable to them because of the appearance of bias on the part of Mister Justice Awich. So as you are well aware, the Court of Appeal went against our clients and one of the grounds of appeal concerns Mister Justice Awich sitting on the appeal, while the complaint to the Judicial and Legal Services Commission was made.”

Reporter

“So it is good news for the Ashcroft interests?”

Magali Marin Young

“Well it is good news. I think what it does; it lends some credibility to their concerns of Mister Justice Awich sitting on their cases.”

Reporter

“So tell us what’s the next step for the case and moving forward.”

Magali Marin Young

“Well what the court decided is that the Judicial and Legal Services Commission erred so the Judicial and Legal Services Commission now will have to refer the complaint to the Belize Advisory Council.”