Belize PM signs new jury law
Published:Tuesday | August 2, 2011 | 4:36 PM
Prime Minister of Belize Dean Barrow has signed the orders to bring into force the recently-enacted Indictable Procedure (Amendment) Act and the Juries (Amendment) Act.
The laws provide for non-jury trials in certain criminal cases.
The government said the law will apply only to those cases where an accused person is committed for trial or after the commencement date for crimes such as murder, attempt to murder, abetment of murder or conspiracy to commit murder.
In other cases, the prosecution will have to apply to the judge to order a trial without a jury on certain specified grounds.
The government said that will include cases where there is a danger of jury tampering or the intimidation of jurors or witnesses.
The Belize government said the new law is part of the Government’s agenda to streamline the administration of criminal justice and to bring about better justice for accused persons, as well as victims.