Legal Milestone: Four Attorneys Elevated to Senior Counsel in Belize

Belize’s legal fraternity now has four new senior counsels, a rank given to attorneys who have distinguished themselves in the profession. Today, Priscilla Banner, Melissa Balderamos-Malher, Ashanti Athurs-Martin, and Attorney General Anthony Sylvester, were elevated at a special sitting of the Belize High Court. The elevation of attorneys to Senior Counsel is a tradition leading back to the English Legal System which Belize’s legal system mirrors. Speaking on his elevation, Attorney General Sylvestre said that it was an emotional time for him, having lost his mother ten years ago today at the very hour he was elevated. Sylvestre explained that the title of senior council is something that attorneys cannot apply for, rather, they are called to be elevated by the Chief Justice. Newly elevated SC Priscilla Banner also spoke about the work it takes to be considered.

Anthony Sylvestre, Attorney General: “The process, as I am made to understand, is not an application process but attorneys’ names who are considered for the elevation, it’s submitted by the General Legal Council and then the Chief Justice considers and deliberates and then makes a determination. The garb changes and the senior council is, it’s a distinction, it’s expected to not do as many cases, that the cases that ordinarily you may have been minded to do those perhaps maybe should be referred now to a junior. One other thing as well is that once you are senior counsel you’re supposed to appear in court with a junior. And which is one of the reasons why the fees actually increase.”

Priscilla Banner, Senior Counsel: “Essentially it is about being an ethical person, it is about practicing ethics throughout your profession, it is about being reasonable with clients and representing them when perhaps sometimes they’re at their lowest. It is about giving back to society, providing pro-bono services to help the less fortunate in our society. It is about applying yourself in the practice of the law and ensuring that you do your job to the best of your ability. So those are just a few of the things that you need to ensure that you do to apply yourself in the practice of the law. But certainly there are many others.”

The ceremony was conducted in accordance with Section 12 of the Legal Profession Act, Chapter 320 of the Laws of Belize Revised.  Chief Justice Louis Esther Blenman presided over the sitting, with Senior Councils Edwin Flowers and Eamon Courtenay bringing the motions for elevation.  In this tradition, those elevated were referred to as King’s or Queens Council, depending on the monarch of the day. The new rank carries with it a level of prestige among their peers, as attorneys now become members of what is called the inner bar of the judiciary. Senior Counsels are held to a higher ethical standard than their junior counterparts in the outer bar and are expected to take on fewer cases but can charge higher legal fees for their services.