Belize's Death Penalty: A Matter Of Life And Law

The death penalty is a highly controversial topic that has sparked countless debates and research around the world. Belize is one of the countries that has previously implemented the death penalty, with the most recent execution occurring in 1985. While Belize no longer has anyone on death row, capital punishment remains a possible legal punishment. This has led to discussions and differing opinions on whether the death penalty should be abolished completely in Belize.

Belize has abolished the mandatory death penalty for murder

In 2016, Amnesty International reported that for the first time, there were no prisoners on death row in Belize. The mandatory death penalty for 'Class A' murder was struck down in the case of Reyes v The Queen in 2002. Despite this, capital punishment remains a possible legal punishment in Belize, and the country's Criminal Code has not been updated since the ruling.

Belize's path toward abolishing the death penalty has been a gradual process. In 2007, mitigating factors were presented during the sentencing stage of a 'Class A' murder case, Pipersburgh v The Queen, demonstrating a shift in approach. Additionally, a pending case before the Caribbean Court of Justice, Gregory August v The Queen, will examine the constitutionality of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

The debate around the death penalty in Belize is multifaceted. Some argue that it is a costly, inhumane, and inaccurate punishment that violates human rights and can result in the death of innocent people. On the other hand, proponents of the death penalty believe it serves as an effective deterrent to heinous crimes and provides a sense of retribution for victims' families.

While Belize has made significant progress in abolishing the mandatory death penalty for murder, the country's legal system still allows for capital punishment as a possible sentence. The ongoing legal cases and discussions surrounding this issue indicate that Belize is actively navigating the complexities of capital punishment and exploring alternative approaches to sentencing for murder convictions.

The last execution in Belize was in 1985

Belize has not executed anyone since 1985, but capital punishment remains a possible legal punishment in the country.

Kent Bowers, a Belizean man, was the last person to be executed by Belize. On 4 July 1984, Bowers, then 17, entered a restaurant in Belize City where Francis and Dora Codd were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. After being asked to leave, a struggle ensued between Bowers and the Codds' son, Robert, during which Bowers stabbed Robert several times, resulting in his death. Bowers was convicted of murder on 23 October 1984 and sentenced to death by hanging. Despite appealing his conviction and petitioning for clemency, Bowers was hanged on 19 June 1985 in Her Majesty's Prison on Goal Lane in Belize City.

Prior to Bowers, the most recent execution in Belize was that of Nora Parham in 1963, who became the only woman known to have been executed by Belize. Parham was convicted of murdering her partner, Ketchell Trapp, a constable in the British Honduras Police Force, by burning him to death during a domestic dispute. She was sentenced to death and hanged on 5 June 1963, despite a petition for clemency containing 2,461 signatures.

While Belize has not carried out an execution in almost four decades, it is important to note that the death penalty remains a legal punishment in the country. In recent years, however, there have been legal victories in Belize that have contributed to saving lives and emptying death row. As of 2015, there were no prisoners on death row in Belize for the first time, and the gallows in the country's only prison have reportedly fallen into disrepair.

Capital punishment remains a possible legal punishment

Belize has made legal strides towards abolishing the death penalty. In 2002, the Privy Council struck down the mandatory death sentence for 'Class A' murder in the case of Reyes v The Queen. This was followed by the case of Pipersburgh v The Queen in 2007, which saw mitigating factors presented at the sentencing stage following a conviction for 'Class A' murder.

Despite these developments, capital punishment remains a legal punishment in Belize. Amnesty International reported that in 2015, four people were on death row in Belize, having been convicted of murder. These individuals were Dean Edwardo Vasquez, Catalino O'Niel, Ellis Taibo, and Francisco Conorquie.

The retention of capital punishment in Belize has been a subject of debate and controversy. Critics argue that the death penalty results in huge monetary consumption, the potential death of innocent people, and the violation of religious principles. They advocate for alternative sentences, such as imprisonment, which ensures the protection of life and allows for mistakes or new evidence to come to light.

While Belize has not executed anyone in almost 40 years, the fact that capital punishment remains a possible legal punishment means that individuals can still be sentenced to death, causing prolonged uncertainty and psychological distress.

The death penalty in Belize is carried out by hanging

Belize is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy and a former British colony. The country's legal system is modelled on the common law of England, and the structure of its government is based on the British parliamentary system.

Belize is one of the few countries in the world where capital punishment is still legal. The death penalty in Belize is carried out by hanging. However, the country has not executed anyone since 1985, when Kent Bowers was put to death for the murder of Robert Codd.

In 1984, Bowers entered a restaurant in Belize City where Francis and Dora Codd were hosting a private party for their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. After being asked to leave, a struggle ensued between Bowers and the Codds' son, Robert, during which Bowers stabbed Robert several times, resulting in his death. Bowers was convicted of murder and sentenced to death by hanging. Despite his appeals, the sentence was upheld, and he was hanged in Her Majesty's prison on Goal Lane, Belize City, on June 19, 1985.

Since Bowers' execution, Belize has not carried out any further hangings, and the country's death row has been empty since 2015, when the last prisoner's sentence was commuted to life in prison. While capital punishment remains a possible legal punishment in Belize, the gallows in the country's only prison have fallen into disrepair.

Belize's most recent death row prisoner was Glenford Baptist

Belize is one of the few remaining countries in South and Central America to retain the death penalty. However, the country has not carried out an execution since 1985, and it has been 10 years since the last death sentence was imposed.

In July 2015, Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin overturned Baptist's death sentence, ruling that it was unconstitutional due to the length of time he had spent on death row, which amounted to inhumane treatment. The mandatory death penalty has been increasingly recognised worldwide as arbitrary and cruel. The Supreme Court of Belize confirmed that Baptist, then aged 40, would never be executed.

Baptist's case was taken up by the Death Penalty Project, an organisation that offers free legal representation to prisoners facing the death penalty. His lawyer, Priscilla Banner, successfully argued that her client's constitutional rights had been breached, as he had been given an automatic death sentence without any consideration of individual circumstances or mitigating factors.

On December 21, 2015, Baptist was resentenced to 25 years in prison, which was backdated to the date of his original conviction. By that time, he had already served 14 years of his sentence. The reduction of Baptist's sentence and the fact that he will not be executed is a significant step towards the potential abolition of the death penalty in Belize.

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