Belize City Magistrate Court Closed Due To Mould Infestation

The Belize City Magistrate Court has announced its closure from midday today until Monday, February 17, 2025. This measure follows after News 5 reported on the complaints from court staff who have reported health issues, including kidney problems, migraines, and chest pains, due to prolonged exposure to the mould.

One employee told News 5 on Tuesday, “They have said that they’re trying to work on it, but it’s nothing so far. So, we just decide as a staff that we need to take action to make them decide what they will do now. Don’t give us no small solutions. We need a big solution to fix the problem right away.”

Chief Magistrate Jayani Wegodapola confirmed that this closure is necessary to address the hazardous situation, with operations resuming on Tuesday, 18th February 2025.

In the meantime, court dates have been rescheduled: cases originally set for 13th February will be heard on 18th February, those for 14th February on 19th February, and cases for 17th February will be heard on 20th February. Urgent applications will be heard in exceptional cases.