CCJ Hears Urgent Appeals From Activist Jeremy Enriquez in Legal Dispute

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) today heard arguments in a trio of urgent legal applications brought by Belizean activist Jeremy Enriquez, challenging decisions of the Belize Court of Appeal which struck out three of his earlier appeals.  The matters arise from rulings delivered by the Court of Appeal on October 10, 2025, which dismissed three separate appeals filed by Enriquez and his attorney, Anand Ramlogan, Senior Counsel.  However, the Caribbean Court of Justice ordered on December 9, 2025, that the applications for special leave to appeal be treated as substantive appeals. At the same time, the CCJ granted a stay of a High Court order, commonly referred to as a “gag order”, which had restricted public discussion of the underlying case.  The court is now being asked to determine whether the Court of Appeal acted correctly in striking out the three appeals.  The first application relates to Enriquez’s attempt to challenge the dismissal of an injunction by the High Court. The Court of Appeal ruled that the appeal was a nullity because the notice of appeal had been filed before the High Court’s order had been formally perfected by the registry.  The second matter concerns a wasted costs order issued personally against Ramlogan. The Court of Appeal struck out that appeal as well, determining that leave to appeal should first have been obtained because the ruling involved an order relating to costs.  The third application stems from an ex parte order issued by a High Court judge following a recusal application filed by Enriquez. That order included a directive restricting public commentary on the matter. The Court of Appeal later struck out the appeal, finding that Enriquez should first have applied to the trial judge to vary the order before bringing the issue before the appellate court.  During today’s proceedings, attorneys for the applicants argued that the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the matters on procedural grounds, maintaining that the appeals raised important constitutional and procedural issues deserving of full consideration.  The respondents in the matter include the Government of Belize and the Attorney General, who are opposing the applications.  The Caribbean Court of Justice, Belize’s final appellate court, is expected to reserve its decision after hearing submissions from both sides. A ruling in the matter could clarify procedural requirements for appeals and the circumstances under which orders such as gag directives may be challenged.