Landowners Assn. joins constitutional case

Joining Bowen’s protest of the amendment are the two hundred and forty members of the Landowners Association Limited, which also filed a claim against government. When Courtenay wraps up his submissions today or tomorrow, attorney for the association, Dickie Bradley, will start his. This morning when we spoke to Bradley, he seconded Courtenay’s arguments, calling the move by government not only unconstitutional, but discriminatory against landowners.

Dickie Bradley, Attorney for Landowners Assn.
“The development of constitutional law all over the world, including Belize in this very same Supreme Court of the Chief Justice, is that the constitution is there to protect us. You can’t amend the constitution, is our argument, to reduce, to erode, to whittle away at our fundamental rights. Today it’s we can’t come to the court; tomorrow, what will it be? It is unconstitutional, it is outside the legal limit and authority of any government to take away our rights, to totally extinguish and remove that basic fundamental right of coming to the court. Why discriminate against persons who are landowners or potential landowners that they can’t come to the court, others can.”

Ivan Roberts, Secretary, Landowners Assn.
“Having had a view of the ruling that the Chief Justice made when the government tried to have our suits strike out, having read that document and sat in the court and listen to the words used by the Chief Justice, I am sure that we will prevail.”

Barry Bowen, Claimant
“I personally think it’s a very academic matter. I think it’s very important to our democracy and I just sincerely hope that the judge feels the same way.”