Court of Appeal hears Meerabux case

His removal from the bench became official in February, but former justice George Meerabux was back in court today, this time as an appellant. Attorneys Wilfred and Hubert Elrington appeared in the Court of Appeal this afternoon to contest their client’s dismissal. They argued on three grounds. Firstly, that the chairman of the tribunal appointed by the Belize Advisory Council in September 2001, namely Ellis Arnold, should have recused himself because he was a member of the Bar Association, one of the parties that asked for Meerabux to be removed. Second and thirdly, that the hearings of the tribunal and the subsequent findings should have been made public, two points, which he claimed violated his client’s constitutional rights. On Thursday, the government, represented by Denys Barrow, Derek Courtenay, Solicitor General Elson Kaseke, and Minnet Hafiz will begin to present its case. Hearing the arguments from both sides are the President of the Court of Appeal Ira Rowe flanked by Boyd Carey and Elliott Mottley. In February of this year Justice Christopher Blackman ruled that Meerabux’s dismissal from the post of Supreme Court Justice by the Belize Advisory Council was legal.