UN & EU Launch Pace Justice Project to Tackle Case Backlog in Belize

There are four hundred prisoners at the Belize Central Prison on remand and several hundred more citizens awaiting their day in court. The government is working with the United Nations Development Fund and the European Union to remedy the significant backlog of cases. Today, the entities launched the Pace Justice Project, which seeks to aid Caribbean courts, prosecutors, lawyers, and police investigators to reduce case backlogs in their justice systems. The project is providing nine countries with funds to tackle issues surrounding technological resources and capacity constraints. Prime Minister Briceno explained today that two hundred thousand dollars will be provided to the various judiciary stakeholders. 

Hon. John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize: “It’s $200,000 more so I think what we need to do is look at what we have in front of us and how best we can use it. Because in many instances it’s not only the money but what the ideas that they can bring forward and trying to address some of the issues that we’re confronting, the issues of delays in the judiciary, the issues of for instance the adjournments, using digital technology to be able to make the judicial more efficient, finding different ways of sentencing. You know all of these things can be able to help considerably in the justice system so it’s not looking at $200,000 per year but what we hope that we can accomplish by using that money to put everybody together in trying to address these issues.”

We’ll have a comprehensive review of the launch in Monday’s newscast.