File:Michelle Arana (cropped).jpg

English: Belmopan – Today, the U.S. Embassy and the Government of Belize hosted an Inaugural Case Backlog Reduction Workshop with senior officials from the Belize judiciary and legal community. U.S. and Belize officials appraised both the framework and standards of criminal case management processes and assessed what challenges stood in the way of reducing the case backlog in Belize. Today’s exercise is the next step in the U.S.-funded Backlog Reduction Program. The workshop was attended by Department of State Director for Central American Affairs Patrick Ventrell, Attorney General Hon. Magali Marin Young, Chief Justice Michelle Arana, Chief Magistrate Sharon Frazer, and Director of Public Prosecution Cheryl-Lynn Vidal. Also in attendance were representatives of the Belize Judiciary, the Bar Association, Human Rights Commission, the Ministry of Human Development, the Police Department, and representatives from the U.S. Embassy’s office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL).