by Kristen Ku
BELMOPAN, Wed. June 28, 2023
On Wednesday, June 28, the Prime Minister, Hon. John Briceño, announced the nomination of Mr. Anthony Sylvestre as Belize’s new Attorney General (AG), effective July 1 of this year.
The post was previously held by outgoing AG, Hon. Magali Marin-Young, SC, who, according to Briceño, had made him aware at the beginning of her tenure that she would not be remaining in the post for the entirety of the current administration’s term in office.
Mr. Sylvestre, an attorney-at-law, has an extensive background in public service.
“He is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Belize and a director on the boards of Belize Electricity Limited and Belize Infrastructure Limited. He has also served on the Belize Advisory Council on the Guatemalan Claim, the Income and Business Tax Appeals Board, and the Policy and the Legislative Sub-Committee of the National AIDS Commission. Additionally, Mr. Sylvestre was a Senator of the National Assembly of Belize and a Crown Counsel in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions,” noted the government release.
Sylvestre was born and raised in Belize City. After obtaining his Bachelor’s degree in English Education from the University College of Belize, he served as a teacher at the Anglican Cathedral College. He subsequently attended the University of the West Indies (Cave Hill Campus in Barbados), where he acquired his Bachelor of Law Degree.
He has a wide array of legal experience, practicing in settings ranging from the Family Court to the Caribbean Court of Justice, and has also been an adjunct lecturer in Business Law at the University of Belize since 2010.
Sylvestre is the son of Anthony Sylvestre, Sr., a long-serving statesman, public officer and supporter of the People’s United Party (PUP), who passed away in 2019.
We reached out to Sylvestre, Jr., for comments on his nomination, but up to press time he had not responded.