GoB to take Jalacte $6.3 million award case to CCJ

Attorney General: “Government’s concern centers on the method used to assess compensation for Maya customary lands…”

BELMOPAN, Mon. June 15, 2026

   The Government of Belize is preparing to take the long-running Jalacte Maya land-rights case to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) after the Court of Appeal upheld a High Court ruling awarding significant financial compensation to Jalacte Village residents after affirming the village’s constitutional rights to its customary lands. The decision, handed down on May 22, was welcomed by the Toledo Alcaldes Association, the Maya Leaders Alliance, the Julian Cho Society, and the village of Jalacte, all of whom described it as a landmark victory for indigenous land rights in Belize.

   The dispute stems from government projects carried out in 2013 and 2015, when portions of Jalacte’s communal lands were cleared for the expansion of a roadway, the construction of a Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) checkpoint, and related infrastructure. Maya leaders argued that the government failed to follow the legal procedures required to acquire the land and did not compensate the community, despite previous court rulings recognizing Maya customary land tenure.

   In its judgment, the Court of Appeal found that the government unlawfully acquired 31.36 acres of Jalacte’s ancestral lands without consent or compensation. The court also upheld the High Court award of more than $6.3 million in damages to the village.

   Prime Minister John Briceño has made it clear that the Government disagrees with the ruling and intends to challenge it before the country’s highest appellate court. “We believe it’s a wrong ruling. We don’t agree with it, and I say that respectfully. Certainly, we will appeal, and we believe we can overturn that ruling at the CCJ,” the Prime Minister said on June 3.

   More recently, Attorney General Anthony Sylvestre confirmed that preparations are underway to bring the matter before the CCJ, arguing that the case raises broader legal questions regarding compensation for communal lands, and whether Belize’s legal framework can support different compensation standards for different categories of land ownership.

   According to Sylvestre, the Government’s concern centers on the method used to assess compensation for Maya customary lands, which differs from the framework traditionally applied to private property. “So, the concern of the government is this,” Sylvestre explained. “What you will have, and what we fear is that you will have two regimes for compensation of land in the country: one for private land which is non-communal and one which is for communal [land]; and that creates, can, has a potential to create some issues.” He noted that the issue could have significant implications, particularly in the Toledo District, where private landholdings may overlap with areas claimed under customary land tenure. “There are aspects of compensation for land use in using a metric which is not used when determining and assessing compensation for other land, for private land,” Sylvestre said. “So, it has some serious, serious, serious implications, financial implications.”

   The Attorney General said the Government is seeking clarity from the CCJ on whether the Court of Appeal’s decision effectively establishes two separate legal regimes for land compensation in Belize. “The government sees it fit, and there’s wisdom in approaching the highest court, the apex court, and say, look, this is a position: two regimes with respect to compensation for land now seems to be the state of law in the country. Tell us, is this the case or is it not the case? That certainly would be extremely helpful and beneficial to all of them,” Sylvestre said.

   Meanwhile, Maya organizations continue to celebrate the Court of Appeal ruling, describing it as a significant affirmation of constitutional protections for Maya customary land rights, and an important step toward safeguarding indigenous ancestral territories.

   The matter is now expected to proceed to the Caribbean Court of Justice, where a final determination could have far-reaching implications for land rights, compensation laws, and indigenous communities throughout Belize.