The chief justice of Belize is the head of the Supreme Court of Belize. Under Chapter 7 of the Constitution of Belize, the chief justice is appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the prime minister.[1]
Chief Justice of Belize | |
---|---|
since 2 September 2022 | |
Supreme Court of Belize Office of the Chief Justice | |
Style | The Honourable Madam Chief Justice |
Status | Chief Justice, head of the Supreme Court of Belize |
Member of | Supreme Court of Belize |
Seat | Supreme Court Building, Belize City, Belize, Central America |
Nominator | Prime Minister |
Appointer | Governor General |
Term length | No set term, though retirement is mandatory at age 65. |
Constituting instrument | Constitution of Belize |
Inaugural holder | Robert Temble |
Formation | 1843 |
Website | www |
Since the retirement of Kenneth Benjamin in March 2020, Michelle Arana was the acting chief justice of Belize.[2] Louise Blenman was appointed to fill the vacancy in September 2022.[3]
List of chief justices
editThe full list as published by the attorney general of Belize:[4]
- Robert Temple Esq., 1843–1861
British Honduras (1862-1973)
edit- Richard J. Connor, 1862
- William Alexander Parker, 1875–1881
- Sir Henry Rawlins Pipon Schooles, 1881 (later Administrator of Grenada, 1887 and Attorney General of Jamaica, 1896)
- William Anthony Musgrave Sheriff, 1883–1886
- Sir William Meigh Goodman, 1886–1889
- Sir William John Anderson, 1890–1900 (afterwards Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago, 1900)
- Sir Walter Llewellyn Lewis, 1900–1906[5]
- Frederic Mackenzie Maxwell, 1906–1911 (afterwards Chief Justice of the Leeward Islands, 1912)
- Sir Walter Sidney Shaw, 1912–1914
- Sir Robert Blair Roden, 1915–1921
- Herbert Kortright McDonnell Sisnett, 1922–1931
- Charles Wilton Wood Greenidge, 1932–1936
- Sir Arthur Kirwan Agar, 1936–1940
- Sir Carleton George Langley, 1940–1947[6]
- Frederick Malcolm Boland, 1948–1949
- Sir Alfred Victor Crane, 1950–1954
- Erskine Rueul La Tourette Ward, 1955–1957
- Sir Clifford De Lisle Inniss, 1957–1972
Belize (1973–)
edit- Arthur Richard Franklin Dickson, 1973–1974
- Sir Denis Eustace Gilbert Malone, 1974–1979
- Albert L. Staine, CBE, 1979–1982
- George C. R. Moe, QC, 1982–1985
- George N. Brown, acting 1985–1986
- Taufik Cotran, CBE, 1986–1990
- Sir George N. Brown, 1990–1998
- George Singh, 1998
- Manuel Sosa, CBE, SC, 1998–1999
- John Troadio Gonzalez, acting 1999–2000
- Dr. Abdulai Osman Conteh, 2000–2010[7]
- Samuel Awich, acting 2010–2011
- Kenneth Benjamin, 2011[8]-2020
- Michelle Arana, acting 2020-[2]2022
- Louise Blenman, 2022[9]-Present
References
edit- ^ "Structure, composition, and jurisdiction". Government of Belize. Archived from the original on 2012-08-02. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
- ^ a b Parks, Rowland A. (21 March 2020). "Supreme Court Justice Michelle Arana will act as Chief Justice". Amandala. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
- ^ "New Chief Justice of Belize Louise Blenman sworn in". 2 September 2022.
- ^ "Chief Justices of Belize, 1843 to 2000". Attorney General of Belize. Archived from the original on 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
- ^ "No. 27173". The London Gazette. 13 March 1900. p. 1709.
- ^ "No. 34847". The London Gazette. 10 May 1940. p. 2807.
- ^ Humes, Aaron (2010-01-10). "The end of an era: Chief Justice Dr. Abdulai Conteh retires". Amandala. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
- ^ Trapp, Adele (2011-07-29). "Guyanese jurist, Kenneth Benjamin, 56, to succeed Conteh". Amandala. Archived from the original on 2013-03-17. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
- ^ Humes, Aaron (2022-06-23). "Government identifies new Chief Justice of Belize".