C.J. slaps Bz. Times with rare libel injunction
Lawyer and Leader of the Opposition Dean Barrow went head to head with the People’s United Party and its newspaper, the Belize Times in a libel suit today. The conflict concerns photographs and articles printed about fellow attorney–and former wife–Lois Young. Barrow appeared before Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh to file the action against the Times and–in an unusual move–requested an immediate injunction against the newspaper, restraining it from continued publication about his client. Attorney Kareem Musa–son of the Prime Minister–appearing on behalf of the newspaper, argued against the interim injunction, contending that during trial the paper could justify the claims made in the articles. But in his ruling, Conteh agreed with Barrow, barring the Belize Times from printing anything else about Young.
Dean Barrow, Young?s Attorney
?It means that in this case, the judge had to have been convinced that one on the face of it, the words and the articles appear to be strongly libellous and two, on the face of it, at this juncture, it doesn?t appear that there can be any justification for the articles. Now, of course these were articles that started after Lois spoke out about what she saw as B.T.L.?s disobedience of the injunction, something that drew universal condemnation from this society. And so clearly, I think the court was right in thinking that, how can this sort of thing, which most people see as an action in the best possible tradition, how can that justify the kind of scurrilous, vile, venomous attacks that the Belize Times has launched. It is in that context that clearly in my view the order was given, but the fact is it has made legal history because certainly in my lifetime of practicing, it?s never before happened in this country.?
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
?Mr. Barrow, some people might look at what was being presented in the Belize Times and say that?s normal run of the mill politicking in Belizean newspapers. What does this ruling do as far as set a precedent, especially … I know your other cap, you?re involved in the United Democratic Party, you have your own newspaper and we?ve seen similar type articles, cartoons, pictures in the Guardian. What does this do for journalism and politicking in Belize??
Dean Barrow
?Well first of all, I don?t think anybody stoops to the level of the Belize Times, but one of the things that the judge was greatly concerned with, and he said it in the course of the arguments, was that Lois is not a politician, not a public figure in the sense of a political public figure. And I think that was one of the reasons why, unusual though it is, it could grant the injunction. It could have been different if somebody such as I sued for libel, because as a politician, you?re right, it?s almost run of the mill for accusations to be levied back and forth but that?s the just the point. When the Belize Times is going to do this to somebody that?s not a politician and who speaks out on an issue, that as I said, has drawn universal condemnation and is applauded by right thinking persons in the society, clearly the court takes a dim view of that person being attacked.?
Young’s only partisan political involvement dates way back to 1977 when she ran unsuccessfully for the Belize City Council on the P.U.P. ticket. Since that time she has pursued a successful legal career, primarily in the field of business law. In recent years she has become an outspoken advocate for good governance and has taken a leadership position in the Association of Concerned Belizeans.
