Court Halts Government’s Compulsory Acquisition of Stake Bank Land

The Government of Belize’s compulsory acquisition of land on Stake Bank Island has been put on pause. Last month, the Feinstein Group sought an urgent injunction at the High Court to stop the government from acquiring 23.4 acres of the island for public purposes. Today, the parties appeared in court in Belize City, where Justice Rajiv Goonetilleke made several decisions. While the matter was brought by the Feinstein Group against the government, Stake Bank Enterprises Limited, and Honduran Company, OPSA joined the matter as co-applicants. In court, the parties agreed to have the matter expedited and brought before the court by December, putting a pause on the government making a second publication in the Gazette. Attorney Eamon Courtenay, who appeared in court today for OPSA, spoke about what transpired and when they will return to court. 

Eamon Courtenay, Attorney: “The judge raised with us whether we can resolve the matter, the substantive hearing by the end of the year. And we were able to agree the dates, the matter will be tried on the 19th and 20th of December and therefore there was no need to hear the injunction since trial would be expedited. As I understand it, the situation is that the Attorney General has given an undertaking that they will not proceed with the compulsory acquisition until this matter has been determined. The judge indicated to us that he would hope to have a decision within two to three weeks after we have argued it. So before the end of January we will anticipate that we would know the result of this case.”

Reporter: Are those two documents being objected to of any significance? 

Eamon Courtenay, Attorney: “The two documents are the letters which was the offer from the Mike Feinstein and the other one was a similar letter to the government, both of which are supposed without prejudice. So they are objecting to it being admitted in evidence. We are saying that it’s admissible.”

Senior Counsel Godfrey Smith represented Feinstein, Senior Counsel Magali Marin represented GOB, and Senior Counsel Dean Barrow appeared for SEBL.