Belize City Mom’s Lawsuit Over Son’s SOE Detention Moves Forward in High Court

The case of Rhea Thomas, the Belize City mother who is suing the Belize Police Department continued in the High Court today. Thomas filed a suit in July of 2024, that police violated the rights of her son, who is a minor, when he was detained under the provisions of the June 2024 State of Emergency Declaration. The high-profile civil matter continued with cross examinations of police witnesses this morning before Justice Martha Alexander. Following cross examination, Justice Alexander reserved judgement on the matter and adjourned the case until September 18. Thomas’s attorney Leslie Mendez spoke on the details of the claim and the relief being sought.

Leslie Mendez, Attorney: “In the case of the child that was detained under the SOE last year this process was part of cross examination so today all of the witnesses came to court and they were cross examined. The court reserved any judgment. The parties are now to provide written submissions and there will be an oral hearing after this. So the claim on behalf of the child challenges the emergency proclamation. It says that there was no emergency so to speak so that the circumstances that the country was facing did not meet the threshold for the Governor General to have then called a state of emergency, suspending the rights of individuals. We also say that the regulations that were enacted from that state of emergency are also unconstitutional because they disproportionately breach the rights of the complainant. And in addition to that we also say that in the context of his detention under the SOE his rights were also breached.”

Reporter: What relief is being sought ? 

Leslie Mendez, Attorney: “We’re asking for declarations that constitutional rights had been breached. We’re also asking for a declaration that the state of emergency was unconstitutional. We’re asking for vindicatory damages, we’re asking for compensatory damages as well.”

The key witness in this morning’s session was Deputy Commissioner of Police Bart Jones. Attorney Mendez’s questioned Jones about various matters regarding the law and the powers of police to detain suspects under prescribed circumstances.