By: Omar Silva I Editor/Publisher

National Perspective Belize I Digital 2025

www.nationalperspectivebz.com

Belize City: Tuesday 19th August 2025: Guyanese jurist Arif Bulkan’s recent elevation from Belize’s Court of Appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is more than a personal triumph. It underscores a recurring pattern: Belize’s judiciary has become a launching pad for ambitious jurists across the region.

A Pattern Repeating Itself

Justice Bulkan, who joined Belize’s Court of Appeal in May 2022, will be sworn in at the CCJ this October, filling the vacancy left when Justice Winston Anderson assumed the presidency of the court in July. His ascent is hardly unusual. For decades, Belize’s courts—both the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal—have been used by regional jurists to burnish their résumés before moving on to the CCJ.

Notable figures have walked this path before him. Winston Anderson himself, a Caribbean legal scholar, sat on Belize’s Appeal Court before his CCJ tenure. Likewise, Justice Denys Barrow, a Belizean with regional credentials, transitioned to the CCJ after service at home.

Belize: A Launchpad or a Bench of Convenience?

Belize’s judiciary, relatively small compared to its Caribbean counterparts, offers jurists high visibility. Landmark cases involving constitutional law, indigenous rights, and cross-border disputes place judges under the regional spotlight, catching the attention of the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission.

But this trend raises a larger question: Is Belize’s justice system being strengthened by the inflow of high-level jurists, or is it being reduced to a stepping stone for career climbers?

Every time a respected foreign judge moves on, Belize is left with vacancies that must be filled—sometimes by temporary or contract judges. Most recently, Senior Counsel Melissa Balderamos Mahler was tapped to serve on the Court of Appeal on a temporary basis. Her appointment underscores the revolving door that has become routine in Belize’s judiciary.

The Chief Justice’s Shadow Ambition

Even the present Chief Justice of Belize’s Supreme Court is said to have his eyes fixed on the CCJ. This raises legitimate concerns about the stability and permanence of Belize’s judiciary. Are these high offices seen as national service to Belize, or as way stations en route to the “bigger stage” in Port of Spain, where the CCJ sits?

hy It Matters

The CCJ, headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago, serves as both an appellate court and an international court for CARICOM states. Its prestige is undeniable. But if Belize’s highest courts continue to be treated as résumé-builders rather than long-term commitments, the Belizean people may be left with a judiciary in constant flux.

That churn risks undermining continuity, institutional memory, and public confidence in the administration of justice.