Five Years Later…. where is Belize’s Whistleblowers Bill?

In Belize, calling out corruption can still come at a high personal cost. Five years after a whistleblower bill was first drafted, the proposed law remains stuck, leaving would-be informants to weigh their conscience against the fear of retaliation. The legislation was meant to give Belizeans protection and confidence to report wrongdoing, but a new legal review says the bill, as written, does not go far enough. It is now recommending major changes to strengthen safeguards for those who come forward. So, what needs to be fixed, and is Belize any closer to passing a law that would advance its good governance commitments? Tonight, News Five’s Britney Gordon takes a closer look.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño (File: July 6^th, 2026)

“When we see these mistakes, we don’t hide it. We don’t put it under the rug. We fix it. Because you put us to work for you. You are our bosses”

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Who holds the government accountable? Every act of accountability begins with someone willing to speak up. Whistleblowers expose corruption and wrongdoing, but in Belize, advocates say fear keeps too many people silent. Belize drafted a whistleblower bill five years ago, but without its passage, those who speak up still have no legal protection. Public Service Union President Dean Flowers says the push for whistleblower protections began long before the current bill was ever drafted.

 

PROTECTED DISCLOSURES BILL [Highlight Name of Bill and Date]

• Drafted in 2021
• Intended to protect whistleblowers
• Still not enacted

 

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union of Belize

“The call  for a whistleblowers legislation commenced in 2012 under the Barrow administration. That is a collective bargaining good governance motion that was included , in our 2009 proposals. In 2012, it was officially tabled. And it took up until 2020 to get a commitment from the new administration under Briceño to direct for a draft legislation.”

 

Across the Commonwealth, whistleblower protection remains the exception, not the rule. Fewer than half of its fifty-six member states have passed dedicated laws, and in CARICOM, only a handful have followed Jamaica’s lead with protected disclosures legislation.

• Commonwealth map- highlight few countries like UK, Canada, Australia and India
• Jamaica map

 

So, if Belize and many other countries have gone this long without whistleblower protection, why does it matter now? Many would recall the high-profile Immigration Scandal of 2013 that resulted in a public call for the removal of Minister of State, Edmond Castro. Attorney Richard “Dickie” Bradley explains what happened to whistleblower Alvarine Burgess after she exposed the issue.

 

Richard “Dickie” Bradley, Attorney-at-Law

“That brave young lady from down south, I think she lived in Independence Village. She ended up having to flee the country and we should remember that she came forward publicly, I think it was your station. She spoke for the first time on Channel 5.”

 

The Briceño administration remains under heavy public scrutiny for leaked documents exposing a lack of oversight with the Ministry of Defense’s Smart Stream payments.  Key questions remain unanswered as ministries pass the buck.

 

A whistleblower could help bring answers, but in Belize, speaking up still comes with risk. With no whistleblower law and no ombudsman in place since late 2025, former Ombudsman retired Major Gilbert Swaso says fear will keep many Belizeans silent.

 

Major Gilbert Swaso (Ret’d), Former Ombudsman

“Fear is defeating integrity. And we also know for a fact that the government of Belize is, I believe, the highest employer within the country. So because of the fact that there’s a culture of fear, and fear is defeating integrity, several people are afraid to do the right thing, which is to report any wrong that is being perpetrated by anyone, for that matter.”

 

Following the creation of the draft legislation, the Public Service Union and the Belize Chambers of Commerce and Industry, provided feedback, pointing out deficiencies within the draft, including a need for stronger protections from victimization and robust confidentiality reforms.

 

Reyhan Rosado, Chief Policy Analyst, BCCI

“Lack of personal protection for the whistleblower and their family members. They had, I think, some protections, but they were relatively limited compared to international best practice in other countries. Another one was, I think it lacked a reward system. So usually in an effective case of whistleblower legislation, they’ll have some incentive.”

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

“Belize already has several institutions tasked with accountability, like the Integrity Commission behind me. But supporters of the proposed amendments argue that they are not enough. They say whistleblowers need a dedicated system, one that not only receives reports, but protects people when they come forward.”

 

CONCERNS WITH CURRENT BILL

• Anonymous reports not fully protected
• No financial rewards
• No physical safety protections
• Limited reporting channels
• No independent whistleblower agency
• No reverse burden of proof

 

Bradley says Belize cannot fight corruption while politicians influence public service hiring. He argues that the Constitution gives that power to the Public Service Commission, and when politics takes over, good governance and public funds are put at risk.

 

Richard “Dickie” Bradley

“If we continue as a young country to allow politicians to give their supporters these important jobs, Belize is on the way to become a failed state because then the politicians and the public servants are going to be in collusion to be able to waste and steal resources, which primarily is money.”

 

The proposed amendments also argue that whistleblowers need incentives to come forward, as the risk remains high even with protections. Attorney General Anthony Sylvestre says some of these recommendations have been raised with government and remain under consideration.

 

 

PROPOSED CHANGES

• Independent Protection Agency
• Police Protection Measures
• Rewards for Recovered Funds
• Anonymous Reporting
• Protection for Families
• Stronger Penalties
• Faster Relief for Victims

 

Anthony Sylvestre, Attorney General

“That’s an ongoing discussion. The unions and other stakeholders and social partners have raised that as an issue. As to that live issue, no final determination has been made, but certainly it is something that has been brought to government’s attention and it is still under review.”

 

Britney Gordon

“The concern raised by unions, governance advocates and legal experts isn’t whether Belize needs whistleblower legislation. It’s whether the version currently before lawmakers goes far enough. Critics argue that if people fear losing their jobs, facing retaliation, or exposing their families to risk, many will simply stay silent. The proposed amendments are intended to change that.”

 

Britney Gordon for News Five.

 

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: