Anybody hear about the fire that occurred late last night at the Post Office in Belize City? 3rd floor, or the whole building?
--Silk
www.caribbean-colors.com
www.cybercayecaulker.com

I HUUD THE OLD COURT HOUSE BUUN TOO
NICE OLD BUILDINGS

Apparently just the third floor, which was devoted to magistrates courts. I don't know if the post office on the first floor suffered any smoke or water damage.

--Lan Sluder

Court on the top floor is destroyed, the other floors suffered water damage. My mail arrived yesterday, washed and line dried.

SO........ DO WE HAV TO PICK OUP OUR MAIL AT ''NELLIES'' LAUNDRY?????

Attorney General's Ministry

Fire At the Belize City Magistrate's Court

30 September, 2002 - Belmopan
Press Statement by Attorney General, Godfrey Smith

On Sunday September 29th, 2002, a fire at the Paslow
Building on North
Front Street in Belize City completely gutted the
Magistrate’s
Courts housed on the second floor of that building.
The Fire Department
estimates that the fire commenced at around 11:00am.
The Fire
Department is at this time unable to say what was
the cause of the
fire.

The Extent of the Damage
The fire has completely destroyed the six
Magistrate’s Courts and
related offices, including the Municipal Court, the
Revenue Court housed
on the first floor. All furniture, equipment, books
and records at the
Magistrate’s Courts have been destroyed in the
fire. The
Magistracy is currently compiling an estimate of the
value if the loss.

Title Deeds
All title deeds at the Magistrate’s Courts in
Belize City as
security for bailed persons stored in a safe. It
appears that the safe
is intact but this will need to be verified.

Criminal Case Files
All physical criminal case files ­ closed and
pending ­ at
the Courts have been destroyed. However, the
relevant information in
relation to criminal cases were stored in electronic
format and backed
up. The back-up system, along with police case
files, will make it
possible to reconstruct criminal case files. The
Magistracy will
immediately commence work along with the police
prosecution department
to reconstruct all criminal case files in the coming
days. Because the
notes of evidence in relation to partly heard
criminal cases have been
destroyed this means that those criminal cases that
were underway will
have to be recommenced afresh.

Civil Case Files
All physical civil case files ­ closed and
pending ­ at the
Courts have been destroyed. Information in relation
to civil cases was
not stored in electronic format. Consequently, the
Magistracy will not
be able to reconstruct these case files. Persons
who have commenced
lawsuits before the Magistrates Courts will have to
re-institute their
suits before the Magistrate’s Court.

Appeals Pending from the Magistrates Court to the
Supreme Court
Attempts will be made to reconstruct cases on appeal
from the
Magistrate’s Court to the Supreme Court.

Cases for this Week
ALL PERSONS WHO HAVE CASES BEFORE THE
MAGISTRATE’S COURT THIS WEEK
ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT TO THE EASTERN DIVISION
POLICE STATION WHERE
THEIR CASES WILL BE DEALT WITH BEFORE THE RESPECTIVE
MAGISTRATES.

Weekly Notice in the Media for Cases
The Magistracy will be publishing a weekly list of
cases for the coming
week in order to keep persons update on pending
cases. These published
lists of cases will continue the schedule of cases
is normalized.

New Venue for Magistrates Courts
All attempts will be made to establish a temporary
Magistrate’s
Court as soon as possible.

Hotline
A hotline has been established in order to enable
inquiries to be
answered. The number is 227-6370.