The Ceremonial opening of the Supreme Court is reserved for the second Monday in January - and usually, it's a headline story - or at least something you would see in the first segment of the news. But tonight, it's been pushed down, because the headline was a story about a gang funeral. That downgrade alone may be an indication of how increasingly out of step the stuffy officiousness of the event is with what's happening in real time.
But, the social scientists tell us ceremony also plays a role in keeping society together - and so in that spirit, we take our annual look at the pomp and pageantry. Daniel Ortiz reports:..
Supreme Court Opens - Clip 001 from 7News Belize on Vimeo.
As you heard in Chief Justice's address, he referred to an important piece of legislation to try to deal with unwilling witnesses. This amendment to the law is targeted at those witnesses who often take the stand and recant their written statement to police, which often allows for men accused of violent crimes to walk free.
This piece of legislation will be utilized to its fullest extent this year.
And if you're wondering what major case is expected to be heard in the near future, it will be Nicholi Rhys who is accused of the brazen execution of reputed SSG leader Andre Trapp in 2010. He is expected to face trial before the Chief Justice without any jury.
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