US Embassy and Government of Belize discuss witness protection program

By BBN Staff: The Government of Belize and the  U.S. Embassy in Belmopan participated in a high-level roundtable discussion today, geared towards eventually establishing and implementing a witness protection program in Belize.

The participants in the discussion focused on the feasibility of implementing a witness protection program in Belize as well as addressing gaps in current legislation protecting crime victims and witnesses. Going forward, participants will also identify representatives for working groups to find ways to strengthen Belize’s existing legislative protections and address gaps in legal protections where they exist, as well as to examine ways that the administration of Belize’s existing system for protecting witnesses and victims can be improved.  

Participants in the event included Minister and Chief Executive Officer of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries Hon. Kareem Musa and Mr. Kevin L. Arthurs, Attorney General Magali Marin-Young, Justice Antoinette Moore of the Belize Judiciary, Director of Public Prosecution Cheryl-Lynn Vidal,  representatives of the Ministry of Human Development, Families, and Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs and the Belize Police Department, and U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Keith Gilges. The facilitators were Prosecutor Advisor Oladele Osinuga and British barrister Neeta Amin.    

At the session, Justice Moore said that there “is a genuine commitment to proceed with the work needed to ensure reform in this area and that in order to promote and ensure justice we must be able to provide the security and assistance to witnesses to execute their duties without fear and threat”.   

The discussion builds upon Belize’s Justice Protection Act, signed into law back in 2006. The Act was created to provide legal protections to witnesses and victims of crime and provided the framework for the creation of a witness protection program in Belize.

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