BELIZE CITY, Wed. Sept. 22, 2021– Yesterday, during his Independence Day remarks, the Prime Minister, Hon. John Briceño, announced that a Constitutional Reform Commission will be established by October 31 this year and will serve a 1-year term.

The formation of this commission is something that the social partner senators have been calling for since the introduction of the proposed 10th Constitutional Amendment within the National Assembly. Those senators have asked the government to hold off on making any additional amendments to the Constitution until a comprehensive review of the laws on our books is carried out, coupled with consultations with stakeholders and the wider public to garner their input in the drafting of an updated Belize Constitution.

 While the terms of reference of this forthcoming Constitutional Reform Commission have not yet been released, during his remarks Hon. Briceño said, “Today, I am announcing our government’s decision to appoint a Constitutional Reform Commission to undertake a comprehensive review of the Constitution, engage in national consultations, and make specific recommendations to the Ministry of Constitutional Reform for any changes deemed necessary.”

In a letter sent by Senators Osmany Salas, who represents the country’s NGO’s; Elena Smith, who represents Belize’s trade unions; Kevin Herrera, the representative of the business community; and Reverend A. Moses Benguche, who is an appointee of the country’s churches, they lodged a series of objections against a provision within the proposed 10th Amendment that would prevent the term of constitutionally protected bodies from extending beyond the end of the term of the administration under which the persons on that body were appointed. The provision seems to be a direct response to the difficulty Prime Minister Briceño encountered when he tried to remove members of these important regulatory bodies after the PUP’s November 2020 landslide victory.

While Senator Salas called for a Constitutional Assembly to be established for a two-year period, according to the Prime Minister, the commission that is to be formed, as previously mentioned, will serve a 1-year term.