Behind Bars, Beyond Reach: SOE Detainees Denied Attorneys

The State of Emergency (SOE) currently in effect in Belize City and parts of the Belize and Cayo Districts has entered its second week, drawing increasing scrutiny over the suspension of basic legal rights. While the government maintains that the SOE is a necessary response to a surge in gang-related violence, concerns are mounting over how the rule of law is being applied, particularly regarding access to legal representation.

Dozens of young men, mostly from neighborhoods like Lake Independence, remain detained at the Belize Central Prison. Among them is at least one inmate whose attorney has reportedly been denied access, raising significant legal and ethical alarms.

Under normal circumstances, every Belizean citizen has the constitutional right to legal representation. But during this SOE, that right appears to be under threat. Reports indicate that the Belize Central Prison has blocked attorneys from meeting with clients detained under the emergency measures, citing security reasons. This decision has drawn strong criticism from members of the legal community, who say it sets a troubling precedent.

Attorney-at-law Leeroy Banner expressed disbelief at the actions of prison authorities. “Just yesterday a colleague of mine shared with me an email from the prison, and I can’t believe that the prison would put this in writing,” Banner said. “One of my colleagues went to the prison to see someone who is detained under this current SOE and the prison will put in an email, ‘You can’t see your client because he is detained under the SOE.’ Like, you really would put that in writing? How can you be so bold and misguided to say to an attorney that your client cannot see an attorney and he needs a court order for him to see an attorney? That is ridiculous.”

Legal experts warn that denying detainees access to legal counsel not only undermines constitutional protections but also places the justice system at risk of long-term damage.