Temporary justice appointed to Supreme Court

A new temporary Justice of the Supreme Court was sworn in this morning by Governor General Sir Colville Young, and by afternoon he was scheduled to begin hearing cases. The appointment of Justice Howard Nathan was made possible by the Australian Legal Resources International in conjunction with the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation. It is part of a program to provide temporary judicial assistance to Belize in order to clear the backlog of cases in the Supreme Court. A feasibility study of such assistance was carried out earlier this year. The appointment of Justice Nathan will last for about two months and could be extended if necessary. Justice Nathan was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria in Australia in 1983. He is presently a Reserve Justice of that Court.