7 News Belize

New CJ
posted (September 23, 2011)
We've shown you photos of the swearing in of the new Chief Justice, Guyanese Kenneth Benjamin - and today he addressed the court and the media in a special sitting in the Chief Justice's courtroom.

Benjamin was authoritative even as the Bar Association challenged him with issues that have been bedeviling the judiciary for some time:..

Jules Vasquez Reporting
The Bar made its satisfaction known with a chief justice in whose selection they participated.

Jacqueline Marshalleck, President of the Bar Association
"We celebrate the beginning of a new era of judicial stewardship under what we hope will be your extremely able and capable leadership. My Lord, all hope is founded not only on your considerable academic achievements and experience as jurists but also by references solicited by this association during this election process for a new Chief Justice. The references receipt made it quite clear to us that you have earn the respect of both your fellow jurists and that of the legal fraternity all over the Caribbean."

However the Bar still has issues - the president says the new chief faces substantial challenges - unaddressed, or ineffectively addressed by his predecessors:

Jacqueline Marshalleck, President of the Bar Association
"One such challenge my Lord is the improvement of the level of respect and stability between the bench and the bar. The issue of the delay in the delivery of judgments by certain justices contributed to the deteriorations between the bench and the bar and also resulted in the cancellation of the annual bench and bar summit. Perhaps one of your biggest challenges my Lord will be to successfully navigate the mind field of Belizean politics. No doubt a proper tool of navigation will be to ensure that you stay well clear of it. But experience shows that politics in Belize has a way of spreading its tentacles to poison even the most unsuspecting victim. Your reputation as a man of integrity suggests to us that over the course of your 18 years as a high court judge - you have deftly avoided such pitfalls and we pray that the experience gain will age you in exercise of your duties here in Belize."

Derek Courtenay, SC Inner-Bar
"It will be to ignore reality if we were to shut our eyes to the fact that there is widespread disquiet in the community about the way in which the justice system works. The most prominent manifestation is the dissatisfaction which is frequently express with how cases involving crimes of violence are handle. The perception is that too often criminals get away for no acceptable reason."

The new CJ - an experienced judicial administrator - made it clear that he will work with the Bar:

Kenneth Benjamin, Chief Justice of Belize
"The president of the bar association paid a call upon me that was in intended to be a courtesy call. However it develop into more than a courtesy call and ended up being an extended consultation which I expect will continue very soon. The exchange delves into matters `and subject areas of concern of the practicing legal fraternity. It cannot be gain said that notwithstanding the intensity of the discussions issues have been barely broach and much follow action is anticipated."

And more than just judicial politics, he's keenly aware of the calculus of public confidence:

Kenneth Benjamin, Chief Justice of Belize
"Having devoted the last 23 years in public service in the judicious fair, I've develop a quite awareness of the need to ensure that there is access to justice. Accordingly whatever actions are taken must ultimately be in furtherance of the main theme of access to justice."

The session ended with the bench and bar standing in a moment of silence for National Hero George Price.

Justice Benjamin ascended to the High Court bench of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in 1993 and has since sat in Antigua-Barbuda, Montserrat, British Virgin Islands, Grenada and St. Lucia. He last held the position of Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division of the High Court in St. Lucia.

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