Senior Justices of the Peace to protect domestic violence victims

By William Ysaguirre (Freelance Writers)

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. June 11, 2026

    Due to the need for the justice system to be able to hear victims’ grievances and address complaints during hours and days when the Magistrate’s Courts are closed, the Government of Belize has amended the Senior Justices of the Peace Act, No. 24 of the Laws of Belize, and its implementation requires that Senior Justices of the Peace build their capacity to deal with situations that would fall under the Domestic Violence Act, Chapter 178 of the Laws of Belize. The Government has also passed a Statutory Instrument No. 40 of 2025, and the Attorney General’s Ministry has selected Senior Justices of the Peace with at least 15 years’ experience to be trained in the application of the law, and to receive their training at the ITVET compound in Belize City on Thursday and Friday, June 11-12.

   The new S.I. No. 40 empowers Justices of the Peace to issue ex-parte interim protection orders under the Domestic Violence Act, in accordance with the amended Justice of the Peace Act. The selected Justices are learning the legal framework, the best practices in communication and practical application of the law.

   As Attorney General Anthony Sylvestre explained, the Justice of the Peace Act is based on English Common Law, which began as accepted practice over 600 years ago and became the Laws of England as applied in Belize when we were a colony, and was adopted by Belize upon Independence in 1981. Subsequent amendments have sought to address the rising incidence of domestic and gender violence against women and children.

   According to the director of the Family Court, Shanti Morrison, the Belize City and Punta Gorda Family Courts handled over 1,000 cases last year, 2024-25, of which more than a third were domestic violence cases. 

  As the champion of women’s rights in the House of Representatives, Minister of Human Development, Family Support and Gender Affairs, Hon. Thea Garcia-Ramirez was instrumental in getting the law amended, and she was on hand as the JP’s training began, to see it put into action.

   “Violence does not wait for office hours. It does not respect weekends, public holidays, or geographic barriers. When a life is at risk, when a victim is in immediate danger, access to protection cannot be delayed until the next court sitting,” she declared. “Designated Senior Justices of the Peace will be empowered to issue interim protection orders in urgent and exceptional circumstances when magistrates are unavailable. This authority has the potential to save lives, prevent serious harm, and provide a critical window of safety for victims and their children,” she commented.

   Attorney General Sylvestre further clarified that due to the sensitive nature of the victims’ situations, and the confidentiality required in handling such cases, proper implementation of the law will require that police officers with the right psychological profile be specially selected and trained to handle such cases.