The highly questionable state of the judiciary: and cases assigned to judges where conflict of interest may go up to-the-gray-line of inappropriate.
The former Deputy P.M of the Barrow Administration has gotten a big payday from the courts, in his defamation lawsuit -vs- the Government of Belize ‘Commission of Inquiry’ proceedings of 2021.
In a decision this morning, June 23rd. Justice Lisa Shoman awarded Patt $95,000.00 in compensatory damages and $50,000.00 in vindicatory damages.
Former Prime Minister, attorney Dean O Barrow argued before justice Lisa Shoman that the report published by the ‘Commission of Inquiry’ damaged the reputation of Hugo Patt.
FACTS
- The Commission of Inquiry was intended to show the public the malfeasants and abuse of authority of the Dean Barrow Administration.
- The government is expected to appeal the decision in the Appeals Court.
- Hugo Patt was represented by former Prime Minister, attorney Dean O Barrow.
- In April of 2019 the then attorney Lisa Shoman (who was considered to be PUP, ) argued along side the UDP at the Appeals Court concerning the ICJ Injunction brought by the PUP.
- At that time of the ICJ Referendum Appeal in the High Courts (April 2019), several questions were raised and aired on media outlets, indicating “that the amount of money that was being paid to the then attorney Lisa Shoman; representing the government was exorbitant”: In archived news reports the then Prime Minister Dean O Barrow is shown commenting that the large sums that were being paid by the Dean Barrow administration to attorney Lisa Shoman could or should have been even more.
- Justice Lisa Shoman was appointed to sit as a judge in the supreme court 2 months before the election of 2020.
- A similar lawsuit was also recently brought to the courts by Dean O Barrow as plaintiff, seeking damages in the amount of ‘four hundred thousand dollars’ in compensation to him. That lawsuit against the government has been presided by justice Lisa Shoman.
- The taxpayers purse pays the bill when anyone sues the government.
Highly irregular ‘appearances of impropriety‘ or ‘conflict of interest‘ is usually cause for automatic recusal, or reassignment of such civil cases to another judge.
Written & Compiled by: channel1Belize.com / digitalBelize,LIVE Staff writer – Friday, June 24th. 2022 – channel1belize@gmail.com