by Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Feb. 27, 2025
The Justice for Humans Project is fighting for the voter rights of persons remanded behind bars at the Belize Central Prison, with the 2025 General Election on the horizon and the big showdown slated for March 12, less than fourteen days away. The Project’s aim is to allow prisoners on remand and serving sentences of twelve (12) months or less to vote in the upcoming and any other elections.
Attorney Michelle Trapp, a group member, is leading the charge, assisting prisoners who can’t afford to retain a private attorney. The group is fighting for the voting rights of those prisoners whose circumstances demonstrate the negative impact that the growing disparities of legal resources and representation has on people who are overwhelmingly burdened by poverty in gaining access to equal protection under the law.
According to Section 7(b) of the Representation of the People Act, Chapter 9 of the Substantive Laws of Belize 2022 (ROPA), a person shall be disqualified to be registered, or being registered, to vote at an election and shall not be registered if such person – is less than eighteen years of age; or is under a sentence of death imposed on him by the Supreme Court or any court in any part of the Commonwealth or is serving a sentence of imprisonment exceeding twelve months.
When Anthony Sylvestre, Attorney General of Belize, was asked by reporters about the situation, he mentioned that those persons needed to be registered before the matter can be addressed.
“To my knowledge … before someone could even entertain the prospects of voting, they have to be on a voter’s list, you know; so those are all of those things which clearly would have to be looked at,” he said.
Trapp and the Justice for Humans Project maintain that, legally, those prisoners who fit the criteria are eligible to vote if they are registered voters; therefore, if the Elections and Boundaries Department denies the rights of those persons, they will be violating their rights as Belizeans via “discrimination based on sex, race, place of origin, political opinions, color or creed”.