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Today members of Belize's legal community gathered in Belize City as part of the seventh annual Bench and Bar Summit. Topics for this year's event were focused on the theme, "Sustainable Development: Challenges for the Environment and the Law."
According to the experts, cases such as the BACONGO lawsuit to stop the construction of the Chalillo dam have highlighted environmental law and the role of the judiciary in such matters. The BACONGO case spanned more than two years, working its way through the courts until it wound up in the Privy Council. But the time factor of that case has underlined another issue... While Belizeans are accustomed to hearing that the wheels of justice turn slowly, attorneys are now contending that the harsh reality of today could mean longer delays, especially in civil proceedings. But more disturbingly, it also appears that a lack of judges and burgeoning backlogs could hurt those who can least afford the cost of justice. More

Belizean students are invited to use their writing skills and take part in the 2006 Commonwealth Essay Competition organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society. The 2006 Commonwealth Essay Competition is open to students in the Commonwealth aged between 8 and 18. Every year, the Commonwealth Essay Competition inspires thousands of young writers from all over the world. The competition has been running for over a hundred years and is firmly established as a highly regarded and popular international education project. More

The Republic of China has announced the appointment of Joseph Ting Shih as their new Ambassador to Belize. Ambassador Shih is expected to arrive February 5th to succeed Ambassador Charles Tsai More

Minister of Foreign Affairs Godfrey Smith met yesterday in Belize City with David Lindwall. Lindwall is acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs in the U.S. State Department. Smith and Lindwall talked about the continued negotiations between Belize and Guatemala on the Guatemalan claim to Belizean territory. More

For the past two days, scientists, researchers, and government officials have gathered in Belize City to talk water, that is, the country's marine resources. This morning, News Five's Karla Vernon got her feet wet in the discussion and discovered that there is need for collective analysis of the state of Belize's marine environment. Organisers say the National Marine Science Symposium would not have been possible without the collaboration of the Fisheries Department. Fisheries Officer James Azueta says it’s a chance for scientists and government officials to get on the same page. More

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