According to a letter printed in the Belize Times today, Solicitor General Cheryl Krusen has written to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court saying that she has been instructed by the Attorney General to send a proposed bill which proposes to amend the Legal Profession Act to quote, "remove the requirement of compulsory membership by attorneys at law to the Bar Association of Belize."

That would be a seismic shift for the legal profession because presently all lawyers who wish to practice in Belize mustbe members of the Bar Association. The bill proposes to relegate the Bar to being only one of multiple professional bodies representing the legal profession.

It is of note that the Supreme Court has ruled that persons cannot be compelled to be members of any group - because it denies them their constitutionally assured freedom of association. This has been well established by those same lawyers in the Citrus Industry where the CGA's monopoly on membership was nullified by the courts.

The bill also proposes to change-up the composition of the General Legal Council - giving the AG the power to appoint all members, whereas the Bar currently appoints the majority. The general Legal Council is the body where, among other things, complaints against lawyers can be made. Their conviction rate against their brother and sister bar members hovers very close to 0%.

Nontheless, like any club whose monopoly on membership is threatened, it appears that the Bar - led by President Eamon Courtenay - is going to fight it tooth and nail.