Simeon Sampson is awarded at meeting of the Bar Association
Aldo Reyes
The Supreme Court closed today for hearings as legal practitioners headed over to the Radisson Hotel for a one day conference. The Bar Association is an active voice in support of changes to the law and justice system in Belize, but today the Bar was engaged in educating its members and legal practitioners on the latest developments in the legal system. Attorney Aldo Reyes is secretary of the Bar Association; he explains how today’s discussion will drive and shape the debate on the law and justice in Belize.
Aldo Reyes, Secretary, Bar Association of Belize
“We are holding a law conference and the bar association has coordinated and have brought in several renowned legal practitioners from the region. The conference is meant to address several topics. The first one is law media and technology, the second is trials without jury, third is the implications for free movement in CARICOM, multijurisdictional litigation and the last one is extraditions. We are updated on how these topics have developed. We saw these topics to be very pertinent and relevant right now so it was only fitting. For example, the law on extradition with the recent passage of the Rhett Fuller case. We tried to mix up the topics to include both criminal and civil law. Trials without juries are a recent development in Belize. I believe the amendment was passed in 2011. So it is to apprise practitioners as to how that amendment has been put into practical effect and the results. As you know the law is very dynamic. It continues to evolve, laws are passed consistently. So it is a part of the Bar Associations mandate to promote continuing legal education. We need to keep our members abreast of these new developments and also aspects from throughout the region. So that is what this law conference is intended to achieve.”
The conference heard presentations from Belizean and Caribbean attorneys. The Bar also presented Attorney Simeon Sampson with the Custos Justitae, which is the highest ranking award given by the Bar for excellent service in the practice of law and justice.
