Jerry Enriquez Challenges Government Over Missing Ombudsman

Another constitutional showdown is brewing between social activist Jeremy Enriquez and the Government of Belize, this time over a key public office that sits vacant several months later. Enriquez was granted leave to take Government to court, arguing that the failure to appoint a new Ombudsman is denying Belizeans access to justice and weakening one of the country’s most important checks on government power. Enriquez says the prolonged vacancy leaves Freedom of Information appeals, including two of his own, in legal limbo and he’s now asking the High Court to force the government to fill the post. He says the case goes beyond his personal grievances and is about defending the constitutional rights of every Belizean.

 

Jeremy Enriquez, Social Activist

“We have submitted Freedom of Information requests and these requests were not responded to by the various entities in government, like the Ministry of Natural Resources. We submitted a Freedom of Information request regarding the use of their Voice of America land in Punta Gorda and to trace the history of how or what is the status of that land. We have also submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the Elections and Boundaries Commission to request information about the process for re-divisioning because so far much is being done in secrecy and people have a right to know something about the process. And they have denied us any kind of information which we would have appealed, for further redress with the Ombudsman. But because of that office being not filled, then the liaisons like myself are being denied access to a fair treatment and justice. That office should always be filled and plans ought to have been made for a transition from the former Ombudsman to a new Ombudsman without the seven-month delay that we have. I remember one minister on television commented that, “Well, a past government took two years.” That should never be any standard to even measure by. And so we will challenge this in court to ensure that in the future never again can any government just break the Constitution at will and try to find excuses to have these offices vacant. It must remain filled, and the government must honor the Constitution. That is the point of our case.”

 

Enriquez’s case before the Belize High Court is set for first hearing on Tuesday, July fourteenth. 

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

Watch the full newscast here: