This morning, the Chief Justice and the Attorney General's Ministry opened a 2-day workshop called "JURIST, or the Judicial Reform and Institutional Strengthening Project.
The premise is that The Judiciary, headed by Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin, is aware of the public's dissatisfaction with the inefficiencies in the justice system. It was recently well documented when Caleb Orozco and his gay rights activist organization, UNIBAM, complained publicly about the Chief Justice for his 3-year delay in handing down a judgment in Orozco's challenge of Belize's sodomy laws.
So, the judges and magistrates participated in the continuation of the JURIST Project, which is a collaboration between the Government of Canada, and the Conference of Heads of Judiciaries within CARICOM. Here's what the Chief Justice and his brother judge, Justice Courtney Abel had to say at today's opening ceremony:
Hon. Courtney Abel Justice of the Supreme Court
"The futures of our people are in our hands and justice improvement and innovation cannot be delayed any longer as our people are entitled to such advances. They are demanding such advances and we are accountable for providing that. We will all be judged by them for our failure. They are talking and the need is urgent. So now let us start delivering."
Hon. Kenneth Benjamin - Chief Justice
"The object of this 2 day workshop is to secure your input on a broad based approach. I see here a spectrum of stakeholders and you are to guide the project in Belize and certainly in the region at large because we will be rolling out anything that is applicable to other jurisdictions; both in the short term, medium term and long term basis. Now this workshop is intended to be fully interactive; we expect you to participate as fully as you can. Your views and suggestions will all be taken on board one of the mandates and perhaps the key mandate of the project is to achieve the goal of establishment judicial system that is more responsive to the needs of men, women, youth and businesses. Now before I close I want to express gratitude to the government of Canada for their generous partnership. I would also like to acknowledge the sterling contributions of the CCJ acting as the implementing agency."
Nigel Hawke Deputy Solicitor General of Belize
"We welcome this project as an initiative for judicial reform which we know is critical to the functioning of a very important arm of our democracy which is the judicial system."
The Caribbean Court of Justice is acting at the Regional Executing Agency for the JURIST Program.
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