C.C.J. Holds Monitoring Hearing on Implementation of Consent Order  

This morning, the Caribbean Court of Justice held its latest monitoring hearing on the implementation of the Maya Land Rights Consent Order. In April 2015, the Maya Leaders Alliance and the Government of Belize entered a consent order in which G.O.B. agreed to develop a mechanism to recognize the land rights of the indigenous Maya people, among other things. The last monitoring hearing was held in October 2023. Parties in the matter are required to provide updates to the court prior to these hearings. In today’s session, C.C.J. judges noted that the recent reports are the most positive they have received since the start of these hearings. There is, however, one matter of concern that was raised by the government’s lead attorney, Senior Counsel Andrew Marshelleck. He told the court that certain Maya villages are distributing homemade land titles to residents. Marshalleck called on the court to put a stop to this exercise. 

 

Andrew Marshalleck, Lead Government Attorney

“Over the period, some concerns, and we raised it in the report, is the discovery by the government that some villages have been issuing out what we call homemade titles to land. We think that has the potential of derailing the process and we will ask for restraint in that kind of activity. You will notice that paperwork being distributed a logo, the coat of arms along with others gives the impression that this is some formal document, a formal title from the state and I am sure it can lead to unrealistic expectations. It might well be some of these things that fuel strong objections to the policy. We are asking for restraint in these activities on the part of the respondent.”

 

Justice Adrian Saunders, President, Caribbean Court of Justice

“Were there discussions between the parties about the dissemination of the homemade tittle?”

 

 

 

 

Andrew Marshalleck

“No it was not raised at the meeting, it was not dealt with at the meeting. We just raised it. It has been in the compliance reports that we are aware and to the fairness of the respondents I don’t think it is all the respondents that are engaged in this activity. As far as we are aware it is maybe two but we don’t have all the information or fully apprised to the extent of what has been happening in this regard. But instead of being confrontational I am asking for restrain in these types of things, that this won’t help us along even if only from a political perspective.”