There’s a legal storm brewing in Belize and it’s centered around the proposed Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution. As we reported on Thursday, the unions, as well as the opposition party, have sounded off on the controversial changes being proposed by the Briceño administration. Tonight, defense attorneys are raising red flags, warning that this isn’t just another bill, it could change the very foundation of our democracy. In a strongly worded letter to the National Assembly, the Belize Association of Defense Attorneys says the amendment could do serious damage to our democracy. They’re warning that the bill, as it stands, threatens civil liberties, weakens the rule of law, and gives too much unchecked power to the executive. So, what’s in the amendment? It introduces sweeping changes, like allowing warrantless searches in vaguely defined ‘special areas,’ creating a new Gun and Gang Court, and even retroactively validating past government actions that were already challenged in court. This comes in the wake of a High Court decision that challenged the constitutionality of previous states of emergency. The attorneys say this is a step too far. They argue that the bill lacks proper judicial oversight, opens the door to abuse, and was introduced without public consultation, something they say undermines trust in the entire process. When it comes to fighting crime, Belizeans want results, but not at the expense of their rights. That’s the message coming loud and clear from the country’s defense attorneys. They’re calling for a more balanced, transparent, and rights-based approach and they’re ready to help rewrite the bill to get it there.
Glenfield Dennison, NTUCB Senator
“Me live in the SOE area, every single time they pass the SOE my house the eena it, every single time. So when they decide, alright Dennison you want to give trouble dah airport, SOE for you. I hope you go to Kolbe with me, I hope you go shake the gates at Kobe. Because when you willy nilly change the constitution because you don’t like a judgement, the type of state we are in comes into question in my head. These types of things should not be happening in our little Belize. Our little regime should be democratic, ruled by the voice of the people. There is a constitutional amendment still in the House of Representatives for a certain pass leader of the opposition when they wanted to remove him from the house. That is not a joke, we don’t play with legislative process and say you want to act up we will make you cant be a member of the house of representatives. So I call on the media to pay attention to the thirteenth amendment because it says if you never done bring your court action for those breaches of the SOE as of the twenty-ninth of May, you cant bring it again.”