Bar Association Stands by DPP

The Bar Association of Belize issued a statement today condemning defamatory statements on social media about the Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl-Linn Vidal. This follows the arrest of her former security guard’s arrest in connection with a drug plane landing The Bar Association says it notes with concerned scurrilous and speculative statements that quote “are attempting to link the DPP to the alleged involvement of a police officer assigned as her security detail and by virtue of the position held in the police force by her estranged husband.” The association notes that the DPP as Senior Counsel and former President of the Bar Association has dedicated the better part of her legal career to public prosecutions and has carried out her constitutional duties with dedication, competence, integrity and high ethical standards. They express their confidence in the integrity and administration of the criminal justice system to discover and punish wrong-doing in accordance with law. But they also remind the public that there must be a presumption of innocence for those accused of any crime and not a trial in the media.