Doctor Christopher Malcolm, the legal mind who recently made headlines in Belize for representing former Opposition Leader Shyne Barrow, is stepping into a prestigious new role. Come September first, Doctor Malcolm will take the helm as Dean of the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica. While many in Belize know him for successfully challenging the legitimacy of the Unity Convention held by Tracy Taegar-Panton and the Alliance for Democracy, fewer may realize that Malcolm is a heavyweight in Caribbean legal education. A former Attorney General of the British Virgin Islands, he currently serves as a Senior Lecturer and Director of the Mona Law Institutes Unit at the University of the West Indies. Now, he’s set to lead one of the region’s top legal institutions. The Norman Manley Law School, named after Jamaican statesman Norman Manley, is one of only three schools in the Caribbean authorized to award Legal Education Certificates, alongside the Eugene Dupuch Law School in The Bahamas and the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago. Beyond the courtroom and classroom, Doctor Malcolm is a key figure in regional dispute resolution, helping shape legislation, train professionals, and build institutions that support peaceful conflict resolution. His appointment marks a new chapter for the Norman Manley Law School and a proud moment for Caribbean legal education.
Year: 2025
Teenage Girl Drowns in Hidden Pit in Bella Vista
A Bella Vista father is calling on the community and authorities to take urgent action after his fourteen-year-old daughter, Eliza Pop, tragically drowned in a hidden pit dug into the river near their home. Alfredo Pop is now warning villagers of the dangers posed by these deep excavations and urging collective action to prevent further loss of life.
“They were bathing inside the shallow place,” Pop explained. “But now when she stepped back several, like, three metres from the riverside, she never knew that she found a deep place there where the excavator dug almost like 25 feet deep. So when she put the foot down now, she sank right in there. That’s what happened with my daughter.”
According to Pop, the river is usually shallow and safe for swimming, but illegal or unregulated sand excavation has created sudden and hazardous drop-offs underwater. “It’s sad because, you know, I felt a big loss because she’s the only one. If there’s no pit there, I think that could have never happened,” he said.
The grieving father is now sounding the alarm and calling on Bella Vista residents to unite and demand accountability. “What I want to tell the people from Bella Vista – we need to come together. Because of what happened, this will not stop. To stop this, let us come together. For whom is that pit? I don’t have any idea,” Pop said.
Pop is also appealing for government intervention. “I would want to advise our people from Bella Vista and make us try to do something about it, or the government make it look into it. Because of this, I lost my daughter already,” he added.
Young Man Drowns in Placencia
A young man drowned on Tuesday afternoon in Placencia.
Eyewitness Nevin Duran recounted the chilling incident, which unfolded just before noon. He said, “Me and my brother went swimming, and, you know, we were there just swimming normally. We were playing like a race. And then we saw this guy… he was not far from us. He was like fishing.”
Duran explained that the young man had walked into the water with a fishing rod. “We didn’t really pay attention to him,” he said. “We were just chilling and talking.” But when Duran and his brother returned from a short swim, something was wrong.
“We came back — that took us like five minutes — and when we came back, we saw the guy that lives right in front; he was pulling the guy out of the water. We tried to run and ask, like, What happened?” Duran said. “He said, ‘Well, I don’t know. He was just perfectly fine swimming, and all of a sudden he was just, like, face down in the water.”
Efforts were made to revive the man. “He was performing CPR trying to, you know, bring back the guy. But it wasn’t working. That was going on for like 10 minutes,” Duran recalled. “He’s like, ‘Okay, one of you guys has to help me take him to the shade.”
Police was called. “The guy was… just lying on the ground completely unconscious, you know, just throwing up foam and blood,” he added.
Belize City Hails the Arrival of eRide: A New Era in Eco-Friendly Transport
Belize City has taken a major leap forward in urban transportation with the official launch of eRide, the country’s first digital taxi service. The eco-friendly, app-based platform allows users to book, track, and pay for rides through their smartphones — offering convenience, reliability, and sustainability in one package.
Mayor Bernard Wagner described the launch as part of a broader vision for cleaner, modern transport in the city. “We have a broad vision of really driving modern transportation within the scope of our city,” Wagner said. “This project really put in place an additional component needed to realise our ambition of a cleaner, less polluted city — less noise pollution, fewer emissions in the air.”
The new e-taxis operate similarly to global ride-hailing apps like Uber. Users can book rides, track drivers in real time, and communicate directly through the app. “You use this system to really communicate with the driver,” Wagner explained. “You would book your ride, pay, and enjoy the clean ride.”
Fares start at approximately eight dollars per 1.3 kilometres. There are currently four electric taxis in service. Among the drivers is Abigail Westby, the first female eRide driver. “This is a great opportunity I’ve been waiting for for a long time,” Westby said. “My mother, who has been a taxi driver for over eleven years, inspired me to venture into this.”
Funded through a loan secured earlier this year — now fully repaid — the project hasn’t been without controversy. Traditional taxi drivers have expressed concern over competition. Wagner addressed this: “We don’t want to undersell our taximen… It’s not something we see long-term. We want this to be driven by the private sector.”
Parents Allege Abuse and Negligence at Orange Walk Primary School
A group of eight concerned parents has come forward with serious allegations against a teacher at Louisiana Government School. The parents allege that their children, all students of the same classroom, have suffered severe emotional trauma, physical harm, and psychological abuse at the hands of a teacher.
In a formal letter to Minister of Education Oscar Requena dated 20 March 2025, the parents outlined multiple cases of emotional distress, humiliation, and even medical emergencies which they claim were caused or mishandled by the teacher.
One mother said her child suffered facial paralysis during class on 12 December 2024, and was not informed by the school and only learnt of the incident from the child. Weeks later, the same teacher allegedly attempted to strike the child with a book. Fearing for her child’s safety, the mother transferred the student to another school.
In another case, a father said his son stopped learning effectively under the same teacher due to her alleged impatience and unwillingness to assist struggling students.
Another case made by a separate parent stated that the teacher tried to hit a student with a plastic bottle and mocked a crying child while other students watched.
One parent alleged their child sustained a facial injury requiring stitches. The teacher attributed the injury to a “head buck,” but a medical doctor contradicted this, suggesting the use of a sharp object. The incident was reportedly not investigated by the school.
Parents say complaints to school officials and the Ministry of Education (MOE) have been met with inaction. One parent told News 5 that the matter was also reported to the police, who visited the school but failed to take further steps or produce any actions.
According to the school’s administration, the reported incidents involving the teacher have been brought to the attention of MOE, and steps have been taken internally to monitor both the teacher and the students involved.
“I’m aware of those cases, because it’s more than one,” said Margarita Melendez, the acting principal at the school. “As administration, when it started, we spoke to the teacher. Afterwards, we forwarded the matter to the Ministry, and they advised us to give oral reprimands. We gave those oral reprimands. We also held sessions with both teachers and parents, and from that point, everything remained in the Ministry’s hands.”
Melendez added that all relevant documentation, including the school’s incident logs, had been photocopied and sent to the Ministry.
“The only advice we’ve received from the Ministry so far is to continue with the reprimands,” she said.
The most recent report regarding the teacher was submitted to the Ministry in February 2025. The teacher in question has been with the school for approximately nine years and is described as having a “strong character and very strict, but I have never heard her yelling at the kids,” the administrator noted.
News 5 has contacted MOE and is continuing to follow this story.
The Fight is Not Over: Retired Public Officers Join National Protest
The voices of retired public officers rang loud and clear across the country this morning, as members of the Association of Beneficiaries and Retired Public Officers staged a coordinated protest, calling on the Government of Belize to deliver long-overdue benefits that have been withheld for nearly three decades.
The demonstration follows last week’s national protest by union members in Belmopan, escalating tensions between public sector workers and the government. Now, retirees — some in wheelchairs, others leaning on walking sticks — are making it known that they, too, demand justice.
Gathering at Battlefield Park in Belize City, and in four other districts, the retirees sent a unified message: they refuse to be forgotten.
“Look at the walking stick there. Look at the wheelchair behind me,” said Burndina Eck, a retired public officer who joined the protest despite health challenges. “Many of us have to limp our wheel out here and we still haven’t gotten our money. And we are hungry. We need to eat.”
At the heart of their grievance is a trust fund — valued at over $8 million — managed by the Public Service Workers Trust. The retirees claim that this fund represents two years of withheld salary increments dating back to 1995. They are now demanding that the trust be dissolved and the money distributed.
Senator Glenfield Dennison of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize stood in solidarity with the retirees, decrying the government’s inaction.
“This cause is one where former public officers who have given their entire lives and careers to the service of the government and people of Belize are literally dying before they are able to collect on a benefit,” Dennison said. “The cry of these retired public officers is simply this: we are ill, we are ailing. Our colleagues have died. We need the proceeds and the benefits of this trust.”
According to the Association, at least 65 retirees in the Belize District have passed away without receiving a cent from the fund.
BNTU Issues Strike Notice Over Salary Dispute
The Belize National Teachers’ Union (BNTU) has officially notified the Ministry of Education of its intention to engage in strike action within the next 21 days. The decision was conveyed in a formal letter issued today by BNTU President Nadia Caliz, addressed to Minister of Education Oscar Requena, CEO Dian Maheia, and Chief Education Officer Yolanda Gongora.
In the letter, the BNTU expressed deep disappointment and dissatisfaction with the government’s refusal to consider the Joint Unions’ demand for a salary adjustment to help offset the high cost of living. The union said its members are being severely impacted by the current economic crisis and are seeking immediate relief.
“The grounds for such Industrial Action is to express our disappointment and dissatisfaction with the Government’s refusal to consider the Joint Unions’ request for a salary adjustment to provide much needed relief from the burden of the current high cost of living,” the letter states.
“BNTU therefore demands that negotiations continue in an effort to find workable and reasonable solutions to the current economic crisis being faced by our members,” Caliz wrote.
This formal strike notice comes amid ongoing national discussions about rising living costs and stalled salary negotiations between the Joint Unions and the government.
This Is Why Shyne is Suing Elections and Boundaries Commission
Former Opposition Leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow has launched a legal challenge against the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) and the Attorney General, claiming that the commission acted unlawfully by allowing a group of candidates aligned with current Opposition Leader Tracy Panton to use the United Democratic Party’s (UDP) name, colors, and symbols in the recently held general elections.
Barrow filed a formal application for judicial review, arguing that the EBC’s February 25, 2025 decision infringes on the constitutional rights of the officially recognized UDP leadership and violates Belize’s electoral laws. According to the claim, the 15 candidates in question were not approved or endorsed by the party’s National Party Council or Central Executive, and therefore, should not have been permitted to identify themselves as official UDP candidates.
Barrow contends that the decision to approve these candidates under the UDP banner was made irrationally, unreasonably, and in bad faith. He claims the ruling undermined the party’s freedom of association and disrupts the principle of free and fair elections by effectively legitimizing a breakaway faction.
Barrow requesting a declaration that the EBC’s decision is null and void, as well as damages for the alleged breach of constitutional rights.
Warden Injured by Ricochet During Prisoner Escape Attempt at Kolbe
A prison warden was accidentally injured this afternoon at the Kolbe Central Prison during a chaotic escape attempt by a mentally ill inmate.
The incident began shortly after the prisoner arrived at the facility. The man — recently remanded for smashing the glass display at La Popular Bakery — attempted to scale the inner perimeter fence of the compound.
In an effort to stop the escape, wardens discharged warning shots. One of the bullets, however, ricocheted and struck a female officer in the thigh. She was swiftly transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where her injury was classified as non-life-threatening.
The inmate was subdued shortly after the warning shots were fired.
The prisoner is believed to be suffering from mental illness.
Council of Legal Education Appoints New Principals for Regional Law Schools
The Council of Legal Education has announced the appointment of new principals to lead two of the Caribbean’s premier legal institutions — the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica.
In an official release from the CLE Secretariat, Chairman Liesel N. Weekes, S.C., confirmed that Rudranath Maharaj has been appointed as Principal of the Hugh Wooding Law School, effective August 1, 2025. Dr. Christopher Malcolm has been named as the new Principal of the Norman Manley Law School, with his appointment taking effect on September 1, 2025.
Chairman Weekes extended her congratulations to both appointees, stating, “Please join me in extending our congratulations to them.”
Dr. Malcolm recently represented Moses “Shyne” Barrow in Belize.