by Roy Davis (freelance reporter)
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Sept. 7, 2023
High Court judge, Justice Herbert Lord, will reportedly reach the age of 75 in December, which will make him ineligible to continue sitting on the Bench, according to the Constitution of Belize.
With the exception of Justice Antoinette Moore, who is a naturalized Belizean, Justice Lord is the only judge who is a Belizean national. When he retires, there won’t be any judge in Belize who is a native-born citizen of this country.
Belize has recently acquired the services of four new judges, three women and one man, but none of them are Belizean.
Justice Lord is a graduate of the University of the West Indies (UWI) and Norman Manley Law School. He also acquired a certificate in Public Administration from UWI in 1976. He holds the rank of Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
Justice Lord was a senior magistrate and then Chief Magistrate. It was while he was the Chief Magistrate in 2003, that an attempt was made on his life. He was sitting on the verandah of his house in Belize City when a black car with tinted windows stopped next to his driveway and several shots were fired from the vehicle in his direction. Justice Lord quickly lowered himself to the floor and the vehicle sped off. He was unhurt.
Also, while he was the Chief Magistrate, Justice Lord became famous for turning a ring on his finger, which was an indication that he was going to deliver a guilty verdict.
Justice Lord was appointed a judge of the High Court on January 1, 2007.
