30 Persons Complete Training on Criminal Mediation

This afternoon, a group of thirty participants, comprising High Court judges, magistrates, and civilians, successfully completed a week-long training course on criminal mediation. This accomplishment not only introduces an alternative method for resolving criminal cases but also presents a significant opportunity to alleviate the backlog of pending trials. The training was conducted by the U.W.I. Belize campus. Chief Justice Louise Blenman addressed this issue, while Cynthia Ellis-Topsey provided her insights on the matter.

 

Justice Louise Blenman, Chief Justice of Belize

“In Belize, we have challenges with backlogs and also with matters taking longer than they should, due to the fact of the heavy number of cases in the system. In any justice system, it is not expected that ninety percent of the cases that are filed in the courts should be going to trial. In fact, in North America, only 10 percent of the cases that are filed go to full trial. I keep saying that in the Caribbean, we have been getting it wrong. We have had situations across the Caribbean where 90 percent of our cases go to trial. It is impossible for any jurisdiction not to have a backlog if that situation continues. Therefore, alternative dispute resolution is critical and necessary if we are to have efficient and effective justice systems across the Caribbean. One of the key things is that we are learning how to be alternative to trials and imprisonment and so on. And this is a way in which it’s alternative dispute resolution to bring parties together to see if we can resolve issues rather than have punishment. So, it’s a facilitative process that included judges, magistrates and we were some of the few non judges and magistrates. It was a very intense course, and it was hard work.”