SolGen Says Government is Fully Compliant with CCJ Consent Order

Nigel Hawke

Another round of litigation between the indigenous Maya community and Government of Belize is before the high court, despite a consent order from the Caribbean Court of Justice in 2015.  On Tuesday, spokeswoman Cristina Coc, who represents the Maya Leaders Alliance and the Toledo Alcalde’s Association, told the media that government has done very little to comply with the terms of the consent order.  It’s a bold allegation, one that warranted a response from Solicitor General Nigel Hawke who says that government has been fully engaged in the process.

Nigel Hawke, Solicitor General

“We have sat in several matters.  As you know, the CCJ still has a supervisory jurisdiction over the implementation process.  What has since happened is that we‘ve been sitting on several sessions with the CCJ trying to get several things done and two fundamental things have been done.  So it‘s really disingenuous for them to say that nothing has been done.  There has now been, with consultations with them, a work plan that will take us through with the entire process and then there‘s also what we‘ve drafted is a draft dispute resolution framework.  That framework has been drafted at the suggestion of the court so as to negate us coming to the court in every single issue for a dispute constitutionally.  So that tribunal will then look at complaints that they may have that government is not acting properly and can address those matters and make recommendations to the court.”