Supreme Court slows down Port Authority

The ongoing effort by Government to build a cruise ship terminal at the old Custom’s Wharf hit another snag today as the Supreme Court granted an injunction preventing the Minister of Natural Resources from transferring several parcels of land to the Belize Port Authority. The land in question, two properties belonging to the Belize Audubon Society and Attorney Fred Lumor respectively, had been granted or sold to those parties over five years ago. According to Attorney Eamon Courtenay whose firm represented both plaintiffs, the Chief Justice’s order stays, for the time being, the ministerial decision to grant the land to the port as well as any implementation of that decision. According to Courtenay, any attempt by the Port to break ground on this new tourism project would be in contravention of the judge’s order. No date has yet been set for a substantive hearing on the merits but the granting of the injunction at least assumes that both Audubon and Lumor have established a prima facie case and the port may face some rough legal seas ahead. This, of course, is in addition to the storm of criticism already leveled by the tourism industry.