Supreme Court rules in dispute within the executive of Belize Ex-Services League

A decision by the Supreme Court in a longstanding dispute within the executive of the Belize Ex-Services League has been handed down by Justice Courtney Abel.  The administration, led by president Bernard Adolphus, has been at loggerheads with its affiliates over use of the lower flat of its Belize City premises on Newtown Barracks.  Despite an initial ruling in their favor, in August 2013 members of the local branch were shocked to discover that the entrance to the property had been fastened with chains and locks.  It turned out that the directive had been given by the executive.  In court, the election process of the association was brought into question by attorney Naima Barrow since the biennial exercise does not include the participation of all of the league’s members, resulting in the reappointment of the same executive body.  Senior Counsel Hubert Elrington had applied for a stay of execution, preventing elections from being held until after an appeal had been heard.  In his ruling, Justice Abel ordered that elections be held no later than the July sixth.