Denys Barrow is one of the most well-known and well-respected attorneys in the country and the region. The younger brother of Prime Minister Dean Barrow, has been at the top of the legal profession for more than two decades. Barrow has also been a judge on the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and the Belize Court of Appeal, and now he is taking his years of experience and knowledge to the highest ranking court in the region. Barrow was officially elevated to the Caribbean Court of Justice as a Judge this morning, becoming one of seven judges on the court, and the first Belizean to hold the position. It's a great honor and today he was showered with honors and tributes from the legal community. The day started with his official elevation and swearing in overseen by the head of State, Governor General Sir Colville Young, and the President of the CCJ, Sir Dennis Byron.
Hon. Justice Denys Barrow, Elevated to the Caribbean Court of Justice
"It is a tremendous occasion. I think this represents the culmination of Belize's, not my own, but Belize's development and evolution as a factor in the legal sphere of things. So it is Belize's accomplishment."
Reporter
"How gratifying must it be to have just about the entire legal fraternity, I don't think they are always this open today. Everybody seems to be here. It propels you forward."
Hon. Justice Denys Barrow
"Yes, as you would imagine, it is the fact that when you have this kind of outpouring of support of goodwill and of high regard, when people feel impelled to come and share with you, it lifts your heart, it gives depth and meaning to an occasion such as this and it makes it not personal, but something collective and therefore it means so much that not just members of the legal profession, but other persons from my former professional life, clients as well as good friends - just good friends have come out. I want to pay particular tribute to my friend the Leader of the Opposition John Briceno who came out especially for this occasion. I think that represents what Belize is. We can at the appropriate moment - we can join together and put aside our differences. So I am very grateful."
Alex Courtenay, 7News
"Mr. Barrow, you're known as one of the country's leading attorneys, how does these years of experience translate into your ability as a judge and how it will help you in your tendering?"
Hon. Justice Denys Barrow
"The important thing to recognize especially in the Belizean context, in the Caribbean context, in the English tradition is that basically all our judges come from being lawyers. In some other places, like one of the judges from the Caribbean Court of Justice from the Netherlands, they go to judge school. So you leave university and you go to judge school and you become a judge starting at the lower level and you rise up. In our case judge school is really what you learn in the practice of law. So the good fortune that I've had to be exposed to a lot major cases, a lot of significant for Belize and for the region cases is that it has better enable me to now perform I think as a judge."
Reporter
"At the same time, are there any issues in terms of recusal from cases in the pipeline from Belize to the CCJ?"
Hon. Justice Denys Barrow
"Absolutely, yeah, I will have to recuse myself from those cases in which I had an actual appearance, in which I have participated. Those cases which might spring out of that and cases which would involve the government where it would be something pretty close to the Prime Minister where the personal as oppose to the governmental aspect may become engaged - I have no difficulty recusing myself."
After the official elevation ceremony, a Special Sitting of the Supreme Court was held to recognize Justice Barrow's achievement. A few of the most recognizable members of the Belizean Bar, including Senior Counsels, the Attorney General, the Chief Justice and even the President of the CCJ recognized Barrow's career as an attorney, and wished him well during his tenure as a judge...
Barrow will be moving to Port of Spain, Trinidad to take up his new post.
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