Mother of Three Fined After Second Crack Pipe Conviction

The Government of Belize has introduced a new piece of legislation that seeks to strengthen the protection and rights of children and older persons. Yesterday, during the first sitting of the House of Representatives, the Families Bill was introduced. The bill amalgamates the Families and Children Act, the Families Court Act, and the Married Person Protection Act into one law and is centered on protecting children and the elderly. It establishes key rights and procedures around guardianship, custody, child maintenance, and inclusivity. Minister of Human Development and Family Affairs Thea Garcia Ramirez underscored the importance of the bill and what it seeks to achieve. 

Thea Garcia, Minister of Human Development and Family Support: “The bill sets out the rights of a child in relation to education,  counseling, immunization, balanced diet, clothing, shelter, and medical attention. It protects children from employment that is harmful to their health, education, mental, physical, or moral development. It outlines  procedures for guardianship, custody and maintenance of children, whether born in or out of wedlock to ensure non-discrimination in relation to children’s right to maintenance. It allows relatives to petition the court for guardianship of a child in the event of death of a parent, because currently the surviving parent automatically becomes the guardian even when a child has had no prior relationship with the surviving parent. It empowers the court to use DNA samples to determine paternity through blood tests, buccal swabs, plucked hair, and saliva, because currently the court can only order blood tests to be used to determine paternity. It also allows for the recognition of the relationship between the child and a parent for the purpose of determining succession of property. It removes prohibitions on a single man adopting a child who is a female because this prohibition goes against the principle of non-discrimination. It provides protection for children with disabilities so they can be assessed early, offered appropriate treatment, and given equal opportunities in respect of education. It allows for care and supervision orders for vulnerable and abused children to be placed in the care of the Department of Human Development or the Community Rehabilitation Department where they are to be given protective and rehabilitative services. “

 Additionally, the bill also sets out the composition and function of the National Commission for Families and Children as it relates to policy development with Belize’s compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child.