2008 Press Releases
Independent Judiciary – Judge James Hopkins (October 7, 2008)
Radisson Fort George Hotel & Marina
Belize City, Belize
Good morning. It is my pleasure to welcome you to today’s presentation by U.S. Magistrate Judge James Hopkins who will be speaking on the importance of an independent judiciary and offering ideas on ways to improve effective administration of judicial systems.
I would especially like to thank Chief Justice Conteh for suspending court for these two days to enable judges, magistrates, and prosecutors to attend and participate.
We all know that an important indicator of any strong democracy is an effective and independent judicial system. An independent judiciary is protected and preserved in the very foundation of the United States Constitution and the importance of the principle of independence to the functioning of our democratic republic is popularly understood and appreciated by the American people.
We recognize that Belize shares a similar desire for an independent judiciary and anyone involved the judicial system knows the similar challenges of protecting a nation’s citizens from abuse of government and ensuring that cases and controversies be decided fairly and impartially as is humanly possible - free from popular opinion and free from personal or political influence. This requires constant effort - to train, to collaborate and to share best practices between members of the judiciary and other participants in the judicial system.
Significant deterrents to crime are effective prosecution and efficient court processes so that administration of justice and public accountability for criminal conduct is swift and sure - and as well, that those wrongly accused are adjudicated in a timely manner. We all are familiar with the saying: Justice delayed is justice denied. The integrity of the judicial system is impaired when our system is not working smoothly or efficiently. Criminals begin to exploit the system, justice is compromised and citizens loose respect for the law. Many become fearful of becoming involved; others simply become cynical about civic life.
Also, this is a critical issue for developing nations. External investors become concerned whether their investments will be properly protected and if not assured of fair and impartial treatment, may withhold investment, retarding economic growth.
It goes without saying that each of you plays a critical role shaping the public’s perception of the judicial system. In such a small country, you face the challenge to maintain the public’s assurance that cases are conducted fairly and decided impartially. Your actions and dedication to this responsibility are central to the public’s confidence.
As United States Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Cardozo once observed: “The final cause of law is the welfare of society.” “The work of a judge is in one sense enduring and in another sense ephemeral. What is good in it endures. What is erroneous is pretty sure to perish. The good remains the foundation on which new structures will be built. The bad will be rejected and cast off in the laboratory of the years.”
Judge Hopkins is here to advance the goal of maintaining an independent judiciary - and to share his experiences and insights, exchange ideas and discuss suggestions for effective and efficient administration of court systems. He brings perspective both as a prosecutor and as a judge. Being an attorney myself, I look forward to his presentation this morning and the exchange that is to follow.
Judge Hopkins is here at the invitation of the U.S. Embassy as part of the Embassy’s visiting speaker program. The speakers program enables us to invite experts to share their special experience and knowledge with their counterparts in Belize . The aim is to strengthen the already strong relationship between our nations and these exchanges provide an excellent opportunity for sharing and learning.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Embassy sponsored speakers in the areas of financial crimes, sexual assault crime prosecution, domestic violence, and journalism.
Mr. Alexander Vasilescu , Regional Supervisory Trial Counsel for the SEC’s Division of Enforcement was here just a few weeks ago speaking about financial crimes and civil enforcement of regulatory standards in the financial sector. This past spring, the St. Paul Minnesota District Attorney, Susan Gaertner and the chief investigator for her office, Paul Schnell gave presentations on investigating and prosecuting sexual assault crimes. In February, Ms. Wanda Lucibello shared her experiences in addressing the issue of domestic violence and in June Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ms. Barbara Walsh made presentations to members of the Belize media. So today we are very pleased to be able to sponsor this seminar on the importance of an independent judiciary and effective judicial processes.
And now I would like to introduce U.S. Magistrate Judge James Hopkins. James M. Hopkins was appointed United States Magistrate Judge United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida in October, 2003. Prior to his appointment, he had a long and distinguished career as an Assistant United States Attorney.
I believe you have a copy of his curriculum vitae. Judge Hopkins was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of Florida where he has a long and distinguished career prosecuting international fraud and money laundering cases. Other notable cases have included major drug, racketeering, and alien smuggling prosecutions. Early in his career, Judge Hopkins served as Inspector General for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection where he was responsible for administration of the disciplinary system and investigation of fraud and corruption in that agency. He was also the Special Assistant Attorney General in New York State where he prosecuted official corruption involving the New York City criminal justice system. Judge Hopkins graduated from Fordham College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and received his law degree from Fordham Law School in 1977.
Thank you once again, Chief Justice Conteh, for providing us with this opportunity and thank you all for attending today. My hope is that we all will come away with new ideas as well as a renewed commitment to promote the integrity of the judicial system, and that you take this opportunity to develop a long-lasting friendship with your new contact in the United States. Please join me in welcoming Judge James Hopkins.