BTB Wants a Final Say from CCJ on $1.2 Million Payouts to Former Employees

The Belize Tourism Board is considering taking its legal fight to the Caribbean Court of Justice after a string of courtroom losses over contract terminations.

The most recent blow came when the High Court ruled in favour of former IT head Norman Young, awarding him over $230,000 in compensation for what the court deemed a wrongful dismissal from his fixed-term contract.

This follows a ruling by the Court of Appeal in favour of Karen Bevans, the former Director of Tourism, who was awarded $770,000. In 2023, the High Court also awarded Misty Michael, former Director of Marketing, $217,000, stating her dismissal was unjustified.

Speaking on the matter on Open Your Eyes this morning, Tourism Minister Anthony Mahler said the government is reviewing the option of escalating the case.

“Those monies have already been paid you know. These are not new things. What we did was to appeal the judgement, and we lost,” he said.

He pointed to the court’s finding that there was “no board oversight” in approving the contracts and called it a “fundamental principle.”

Mahler said the contracts in question were signed under the previous administration and were heavily one-sided.

“It is not like we are taking advantage of those individuals. The contracts were one-sided in their favour just in the event that something like this would happen,” Mahler added.

Despite appeals, the courts have so far ruled in favour of the former employees. Mahler maintains that the process that led to those contracts was flawed.