Abdulai Conteh - Chief Justice of Belize (2000-2010)

Chief Justice of Belize (2000-2010)

In January 2000, Conteh became the Chief Justice of the Belize Supreme Court.

In 2008 and 2010, Conteh authored two decisions affirming the common law doctrine of aboriginal title and the existence of Maya customary land tenure in the Toledo District of Belize. Only the villages of Conejo and Santa Cruz were parties to the 2008 ruling; however, the 2010 ruling was the result of a representative action on behalf of all the Maya communities. The ruling voided all government leases, concessions, grants, and contracts adverse to the Maya tenure. The "landmark victory" is predicted to have "far-reaching implications" for "logging, mining, and petroleum concessions in what the Maya community claims is over 500,000 acres of ancestral homeland." The government intends to appeal the decision to the Caribbean Court of Justice.

Conteh turned 65 on August 6, 2010, forcing him to retire since his contract was not renewed by Prime Minister Dean Barrow. Barrow's decision not to offer Conteh a renewal was condemned by the Belize Bar Association in a resolution criticizing the "unseemly manner in which the tenure of the chief justice has been treated by the government of Belize." His retirement became a "national political issue because the Chief Justice is popular with the masses of the Belizean people, and is regarded by many as fair-minded and fearless. Several of his landmark rulings particularly on constitutional issues are considered “anti-government” and “anti-establishment,” and many were made even under the former Musa administration."