Summary
In 2010, shipowners who had damaged the Barrier Reef of Belize for “wrongful navigation and or negligence” were mandated by the Supreme Court to award money to the Attorney General on behalf of the Government of Belize (GOB). The GOB is recognized as “the owner, custodian and guardian” of the Barrier Reef. The 2010 judgment from Chief Justice Conteh awarded over 11 million dollars to the Barrier Reef. The shipowners appealed the judgment to the Court of Appeals in 2011, which upheld the ruling of the Supreme Court and recognized the Barrier Reef as a living entity.
In the 2011 judgment, the Court of Appeals upheld the witness testimony of Dr. Melanie McField, who described coral reefs as “actual living ecosystems made up of a vast assemblage of plants, animals and microbial life.” Beyond recognizing the complexity and interconnectedness of life, Dr. McField also asserted that the “living reef ecosystem and the services it provides are not the ‘property’ of anyone.”
Suggested Citation:
Kauffman, Craig, Catherine Haas, Alex Putzer, Shrishtee Bajpai, Kelsey Leonard, Elizabeth Macpherson, Pamela Martin, Alessandro Pelizzon & Linda Sheehan. Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. V2. 2025. Distributed by the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor.https://ecojurisprudence.org/initiatives/belize-court-case-rights-of-the-barrier-reef/.
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