BELIZE-Public consultation on controversial Thirteenth Amendment bill

BELMOPAN, Belize, CMC – Prominent attorney, Richard “Dickie” Bradley, has described as “incredible” the government’s move to “interfere with the fundamental rights and freedom of Belizeans,” as public consultation on the Belize Constitution (Thirteenth Amendment) Bill, 2025, continued here.

Prime Minister John Briceno tabled the legislation in Parliament that seeks to expand the government’s powers to declare “special areas” for public safety, establish a Gun and Gang Court, and retroactively validate past States of Emergency (SOEs) and related actions.

Earlier this week, Police Commissioner, Dr. Richard Rosado, asked Belizeans to support the 13th Amendment, following the murders of Evadnie and Luke Jones last weekend.

“I want to beg and implore the public to support the police department as a united front, as resolute support for the Amendment for the gang and gun laws being proposed in the 13th Amendment of the Constitution.

“I do believe that the 13th Amendment is a needed enhancement of the legislation that will assist us, not only in protecting the community and in ensuring the rule of law is upheld, but also in assisting us to dismantle the entrenched network of violence that exists.”

The Interim Chair of the House Committee for Constitution Affairs, Francis Fonseca, said it is a necessary process and “I hope the Belizean people appreciate that what we are doing here is a part of the legislative process.

“This is a part of the House Committee for Constitution and Foreign Affairs, which this bill has to go through, the Thirteenth Amendment has to go through that committee, holding a public consultation so that we can hear from members of the public, organizations or individuals, interest group, so that we can hear directly from them, their views on the bill.

“How can we make the bill more effective? What can we do to make the bill more effective? What we can do is make amendments at the House committee level before it returns to the House of Representatives. I think it is a very healthy process, democracy at its best, allowing our citizens to speak directly to the House committee members on the substance of this bill,” he added.

But, speaking at the public consultation on Wednesday, Bradley said, “It is an incredible thing that in 2025 we are going to interfere with the fundamental rights and freedom of Belizeans by saying to them we are going to put in the constitution that you have no rights once the police come for you.

“That is like out of those Nazi movies and communist movies. This can’t be Belize. It is unbelievable that this is where Belize is, that you could include provisions in your constitution meant to protect you, yet these provisions would take away your protection. It is incredible.”

He argued that amending the constitution to allow security forces extra powers in designated ‘special areas’ would strip people of the very protections the constitution is meant to uphold. “It is unbelievable that this is where Belize is, that you could put in your constitution, which is there to protect you, things that are going to take away your protection. It is incredible,” he added.

Assistant Solicitor General in the Office of Attorney General, Randall Sheppard, said as it states, the Governor General, on the advice of the National Security Council, may by order publish in the Gazette,” declare any area in Belize a special area in the interest of public safety or order to prevent, detect or control crime.”

Deputy Commissioner of Police Bart Jones told the consultation that all other safeguards must be in place. T

“There must be reasonable suspicion that these persons who are detained are connected with the crime situation at hand, and in terms of the use of force, the police can only use such force as is reasonably necessary in the situation. So, it is not carte blanche for the police to go out there and knock down doors. There has to be a safeguard in place for the police to operate.”

The representative of the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU), Sylvia Marin, urged lawmakers to “promote rehabilitation and not incarceration.

“Just like you guys said, teachers are not supposed to punish, and you remove corporal punishment from teachers, and we found ways in which we can work with our students and build them, and not break them. That is the same way we can do it. You are entrusted with that; you are entrusted to do that. Build them so we can have a better responsibility,” Marin said.

One of the most significant sticking points at the public consultation is the level of power the bill grants to security forces in these so-called ‘special areas’, including the ability to carry out operations without a warrant.

There have been mixed reactions to the proposed legislation.

Talk show host Alfonso Noble said, “I believe that targeted, social intervention will be a greater and more effective way of addressing the crime situation.” In contrast, one Belize City resident, Keith Yearwood, said when he saw the elderly and the disabled members of society being killed, he agreed, “we have to take measures.

“It might sound drastic, but something has to get done,” he added.