CCJ Reopens Belize Redistricting Case

The Caribbean Court of Justice has breathed new life into a high-stakes legal fight over Belize’s electoral boundaries. It ruled that appeals were wrongly dismissed on technical grounds.

The court allowed the appeal brought by Senior Counsel Anand Ramlogan and overturned a costs order that required him to personally pay the state’s legal fees. The court found the order unjustified.

The case centres on a February 2025 claim by Jeremy Enriquez, who argues that outdated constituency boundaries breach the right to equal representation.

The Belize Court of Appeal had struck out the appeals. It said they were filed too early because the High Court order was not “perfected”. The CCJ rejected that reasoning and said procedural issues must not block access to justice.

However, the court dismissed Enriquez’s separate application for special leave to appeal.

The legal battle began after High Court judge Tawanda Hondora denied an injunction to delay the 2025 general election and issued a wasted costs order against Ramlogan.

The case now returns to the Court of Appeal. Judges will consider the constitutional issues at the centre of the dispute.