Four Attorneys Elevated to Senior Counsel Status

Four distinguished attorneys have been elevated to Senior Counsel, a recognition that many say was long overdue. These legal professionals have dedicated over two decades to the field, and with this new title comes a greater responsibility to uphold integrity, professionalism, and ethical leadership. The elevation also means they can charge higher fees and enjoy increased respect from both the bench and their colleagues at the bar. News Five’s Paul Lopez attended the Special Sitting of the High Court and filed this report.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Chief Justice Louise Blenman and the Senior Courts of Belize held a special sitting to celebrate the elevation of four distinguished attorneys to the status of Senior Counsel. Congratulations to Melissa Balderamos-Mahler, Ashanti Arthurs Martin, Priscilla Jennifer Banner, and Attorney General Anthony Sylvestre on this well-deserved honor.

 

Chief Justice Louise Esther Blenman

“This multifaceted position demands not only your continued understanding of the law, but exceptional leadership, analytic skill and communication to safeguard your client’s interest which you are called upon to defend, while upholding the constitution and serving as a steadfast guarding of justice. You are expected to continue to lead the profession with integrity, intellectual rigor, compassion, kindness, dedication, and humility.”

 

Senior Counsels Edwin Flowers and Eamon Courtenay were on hand to speak on behalf of the newly elevated attorneys. Flowers praised the dedication and hard work of Melissa Balderamos-Mahler and Anthony Sylvestre, while Courtenay highlighted the achievements of Priscilla Banner and Ashanti Martin.

 

Eamon Courtenay, Attorney-At-Law

“They must understand there is an new begging, a new beginning between their relationship and the bench. They will be looked at and spoken to and the expectations from the bench will be different. Ti is a new beginning with other colleagues from the bar. The elevation signals that they have distinguished themselves and they will be expected to behave as senior counsel and the public will expect them to behave as senior counsels. You will no longer wear what is referred to the English as suffered robe with that pocket on the left at the back. That pocket was used by junior counsel so that they could be paid as they walk along the streets by the client. That money was put in their and these two strings would hold so that it does not fall off. You will now wear silk.”

 

Each of the four newly elevated attorneys had the chance to address the bench and express their heartfelt gratitude. Attorney General, now Senior Counsel Anthony Sylvestre, became emotional as he shared that he lost his mother exactly ten years ago on this very day.

 

Anthony Sylvestre, Attorney General

“This moment where I have come, coming of age in the 1990’s when gang warfare emerged and started to engulf the streets of Belize. There is no doubt that I would not have been here, and this could not have been possible without the many intersection of the heavenly father. As you would have witnessed it was an emotional time for me, a very emotional moment. As I related the twenty-seventh actually marks the tenth year of the passing of my mother and as I related as well, it so happened that at the time I could the news I was in the precinct of the court downstairs. So, who could have imagined ten years later I would be in the same place , at the same time, literally, being elevated to the Senior Counsel status.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Does this mean your fees as a public official increase.”

 

Anthony Sylvestre

“No, no the fees remains the same. One of the things is that as attorney general it is service to the public and it is to be accepted that service to the public differs than if you are working in private practice.”

 

We also heard from the newly minted Senior Counsel, Priscilla Banner. She expressed her heartfelt gratitude and pointed out that it had been eight years since the last elevation ceremony. Banner acknowledged that there are many other deserving attorneys who should also be elevated to Senior Counsel.

 

Priscilla Banner, Attorney-At-Law

“An attorney has a lot of responsibility to their clients, to the court, to ensure the court can trust the way you present yourself and the cases that you argue. They have a responsibility to their clients, to ensure they treat their clients reasonable, but the integrity in the profession is foundational. And I can count at least five to ten attorneys right now who has not been elevated and it is time for them to be elevated. It has been a long time and I trust that going forward these elevations will occur more frequently so that those persons who should be elevated are recognized by the courts.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez