January 6, 2020:  The Caribbean CAUSE, a regional group consisting of individuals and groups from fourteen (14) Caribbean territories including Belize, note with alarm that the Appeal Court of Belize has supported Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin’s unilateral alteration of the content and intent of the Belizean Constitution in changing “sex” to “sexual orientation”.

We argue that the Court in Belize has taken to itself powers that it does not have and is setting dangerous precedent that is a threat to our democracies.

Caribbean CAUSE has previously communicated its concerns about the obvious judicial activism in the original ruling in both a press release and in letters to the Heads of Government of twelve (12) Caribbean territories which was supported by groups representing tens of thousands of concerned Caribbean citizens.

The conduct of the judges in this matter has led to a crisis because the courts are seeking to make our democracies into “juristocracies” – a position that is wholly untenable and cannot be allowed.

No judge must be allowed to unilaterally alter the content and intent of the Constitution of a democratic society.  This function is the prerogative of the people and their duly elected representatives only.

We have sent a second communique to the Heads of Governments asking that as our elected representatives, they must both speedily address these instances of judicial activism and to put mechanisms in place to prevent future occurrences in order to protect us, the citizens of the Caribbean, from the tyranny of activist judges.

Representative contacts:

Jamaica – Dr Wayne West                (876) 372-7304

Anguilla-   Rev. Phillip Gumbs          (264) 476-1156

Aruba – Pastor Norman Browne     (297) 594-9793     

Barbados- Dr Veronica Evelyn          (246) 234-5421

Belize-   Pastor Scott Stirm               (501) 607-9635

Cayman Islands – Pastor Torrance Bobb   (345) 916-5639

Curacao – Pastor Said Flores         (599) 9560 3911

Trinidad and Tobago- Bishop Victor Gill       (868) 292-0972

St Lucia –       Bishop Thomas Eristhee      (758) 716-0711

St Vincent and the Grenadines – Mandella Peters (784) 531-6881

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Caribbean CAUSE is an alliance of Christians organisations that challenge anti-biblical and anti-scientific ideologies, law and policies in the public here and work towards stability and sustainable development of the region by defending and promoting biblical values in their respective Caribbean societies and beyond.