Government and Bar Association at odds over Chief Justice’s retirement
abdulai conteh
There’s an update to the ongoing saga involving the retirement Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh. As we have reported, the CJ will be demitting office at the end of September, within days of reaching the retirement age of sixty-five years. Following a meeting with Prime Minister Dean Barrow, on June seventh, Conteh informed the Executive of the Bar Association and judges that he would not be hearing new cases and furthermore, that he would be transferring part heard cases to other judges. The PM followed up with a meeting with the Bar on June ninth, when it was learnt that an extension requested by the CJ was not agreed to and instead a September deadline for his departure, was established. Well, further to that letter, the Bar sent another missive to the PM to follow up on his March commitment to allow the Bar to have a say in judicial appointments, including that of the new CJ. The Bar detailed the process it has put in place for that purpose and says it has established a judicial committee that it proposes should meet with prospective applicants. But the Bar took issue to learn unofficially that a Court of Appeal Justice was recently appointed on an ad hoc basis. According to the Bar, these types of appointments undermine the independence and integrity of the Judiciary. That last letter was sent last Thursday and on the following day, the Prime Minister wrote back with particular brevity. Barrow wrote that he will not agree to any deviation from the constitutionally mandated procedure in the appointments of the Chief Justice and any new Justice of Appeal.
The separation of powers so clearly entrenched in the constitution is obviously not apparent in this instance whereby the Executive is showing-up on the Judiciary with respect to the CJ’s retirement and his replacement. This struggle and lack of independence will no doubt render Belizeans having far less confidence in the judiciary system at a time with confidence should be bolstered to deter the crime wave that is sweeping across this nation.
Sorry “The Economist”, I have no idea what you are talking about – Belizean constitution is based on the British “unwritten” constitution….check it out, it is called “Separation of Powers” by name only, but in reality a combination of “checks” and “balances”….as in the UK, the Executive is far reaching into every aspect of all branches of the State, the Judiciary is sub-servant to the Executive – remember the Oliver Twist plea of the Judiciary for more money and the ….-slap received in return by the Attorney General?
Parliament is supreme – Judiciary is sub-servant to Parliament…in the case of Belize, more visually so.
Why not change the constitution to appoint judges in the highest court in our country.let them be appointed by the governor general on the advice of the bar association,church leaders civic leaders, private sector and not by politicians as they always try to interfere in the judiciary branch. In case you belizeans at home forgot what dean barrow did last time when days before he left office he appointed manuel sosa to office without consulting no one.now that he is p.m he wants to interfer again