The High Court
The High Court of Belize is established as a superior court of record under sections 94 and 95 of the Constitution. The Court has unlimited original jurisdiction to hear and determine any civil or criminal proceedings under any law. The Court also hears and determines any appeals arising from any decision of an inferior court. There are currently 8 Judges of the Supreme Court including the Chief Justice.
The High Court sits in its Civil Division in Belize City and in three Districts sits in its criminal jurisdiction namely:
1. The Northern District (comprising the Districts of Corozal and Orange Walk);
2. The Central District (comprising the Districts of Belize City and Cayo) ;
3. The Southern District (comprising the Districts of Stann Creek and Toledo).
The administration of the High Court of Belize is directed by the Chief Justice and the Registrar General.
The Registrar of the Senior Court is also in charge of the High Court Registry. The Registrar whose functions are both judicial and administrative is assisted by the two Deputy Registrars and an Assistant Registrar.
The civil division of the Court also has jurisdiction to deal with matrimonial and family matters including property rights, divorce proceedings (and other matters ancillary thereto) and adoptions.
The Court of Appeal
The Court of Appeal exercises an appellate jurisdiction with power to hear and determine appeals in both civil and criminal matters.
The court held its first sitting in Belize on March 25, 1969, and now sits three times a year in March, June and October. The duration of each session depends on the number of matters scheduled for hearing in a particular session. Presently, each session lasts three weeks with the dedication of the first two weeks of the session primarily to the hearing of criminal appeals. A panel of three judges presides at any one time upon the hearing of any civil or criminal matter.
There are currently four judges of the Court of Appeal which comprises of the President, who is presently a resident Belizean and three other judges, two of which are from the Commonwealth Caribbean.
The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)
The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) was established in 2001 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. It has two jurisdictions: an original jurisdiction and an appellate jurisdiction. In its original jurisdiction, the CCJ is an international court with compulsory and exclusive jurisdiction in respect of interpretation and application of the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas in its appellate. In its appellate jurisdiction, the CCJ hears appeals as the final court both in Civil and Criminal matters. Member states who have acceded to it as their final court as of 2011 are Barbados, Belize and Guyana (Prior to the CCJ, Belize’s final court was the British Privy Council).
In 2009, a constitutional amendment was introduced in the Legislature of Belize providing for its accession to the appellate jurisdiction of the CCJ with effect from June 1, 2010. This legislation is the Caribbean Court of Justice Act No 5 of 2010 which sets out the guidelines and procedures of the Court as it pertains to Belize as our final court.
Permission to appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice is required and must be sought for from the Belize Court of Appeal. Some appeals are as of right and the legislation stipulates the determination of these. In the granting of leave to appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice, there are certain conditions which are required to be met and the Court stipulates these in accordance with the legislation.
For more information on the Judiciary, visit https://www.belizejudiciary.org/