First Belizean president of Belize Court of Appeal sworn in

BELMOPAN, Belize -- Justice Manuel Sosa, the first Belizean to be appointed president of the Court of Appeal in Belize, was sworn in on Monday by Governor General Sir Colville Young at Belize House in Belmopan.

Witnessing the swearing in ceremony was the attorney general, B.Q. Pitt, SC.

Sixty-year-old Justice Sosa succeeds Barbadian Justice Elliot Mottley, who resigned as president of the Court of Appeal at the end of December 2010.

His distinguished legal career spans some 34 years. He was first called to the Bar in 1976, after qualifying from the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica, where he received the award of the Most Outstanding Student.

He pursued private law practice in Belize from 1976 to 1998 and was elevated to Senior Counsel in 1988. He was appointed a temporary justice in 1993 and a substantive justice in 1998. The same year he was awarded the honour of the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Her Majesty the Queen.

Justice Sosa served as Chief Justice for a short period in late 1998 before being appointed as a Justice of the Court of Appeal in 1999. During the past 10 years, he presided over appeals heard by the Court of Appeal on several occasions. He is highly regarded in the profession for his legal acumen and meticulousness.

Other judges of the Court of Appeal are Justices Dennis Morrison of Jamaica; Denys Barrow, a Belizean; and Dominican Sir Bryan Alleyne.

Justice Manuel Sosa sworn in as President of the Court of Appeal
Belmopan, 3rd January, 2011 Justice Manuel Sosa was today sworn in as President of the Court of Appeal by the Governor General, Sir Colville Young, at Belize House, Belmopan.

Witnessing the swearing-in ceremony was the Attorney General, Hon B. Q. Pitts.
Justice Sosa succeeds Justice Elliot Mottley who resigned as President of the Court of Appeal at the end of December 2010.

Justice Sosa’s distinguished legal career spans some 34 years. He was first called to the Bar in 1976 after qualifying from the Norman Manley Law School, Jamaica, where he received the award of the Most Outstanding Student.

He pursued private law practice in Belize from 1976 to 1998 and was elevated to Senior Counsel in 1988. He also held the positions of President and Vice President of the Bar Association and served on both the Bar Committee and the General Legal Counsel.
Justice Sosa was appointed as a temporary Justice of the Supreme Court of Belize in 1993 and a substantive Justice in 1998. The same year he was awarded the honour of the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Her Majesty the Queen.

Justice Sosa served as the Chief Justice of Belize for a short period in late 1998 before being appointed as a Justice of the Court of Appeal in early 1999. During the last 10 years, he presided over appeals heard by the Court of Appeal on several occasions. He is highly regarded in the profession for his legal acumen and meticulousness.

Justice Sosa was born in Corozal Town and is now 60 years old. He is married to Mrs Elba Sosa nee Rosado and is the father of three children.

Justice Sosa is the first Belizean President of the Court of Appeal. Other Judges of the Court of Appeal are Justice Denys Barrow, Justice Dennis Morrison and Justice Brian Alleyne.
Posted by The San Pedro Sun Newspaper

Justice Manuel Sosa is officially the new Court of Appeal President

It’s the first news out of Belmopan for the New Year and confirms what we reported late last week that government intended to appoint Justice Manuel Sosa as the new president of the Court of Appeal. Well, it became official today when Sosa was sworn in by Governor General, Colville Young, at Belize House in Belmopan. His appointment follows the resignation of former president, Justice Elliott Mottley after his appointment was reduced from life to one year. Justice Sosa, we note, is originally from Corozal Town and is the first Belizean president of the appellate court. He has been in the legal profession for some thirty-four years. Sosa was called to the Bar in 1976 and was in private practice for twenty-two years. During that time, he served as President and Vice President of the Bar Association and was a member of the Bar Committee and the General Legal Counsel. He then moved into the judiciary with his term as a temporary Justice of the Supreme Court in 1993 and then full appointment in 1998. He went on to serve as Chief Justice, albeit very briefly, after the change of government in 1998, and then as a Justice of the Court of Appeal. The other sitting justices in the Court of Appeal are Justices Denys Barrow, Dennis Morrison and Brian Alleyne.

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