In a landmark judicial decision that has sent shockwaves through Belize’s legal community, the Court of Appeal has unanimously overturned the conviction of attorney Oscar Selgado, declaring his original trial fundamentally unfair and in violation of constitutional protections. The appellate court’s scathing judgment, delivered on December 19, 2025, exposed critical flaws in the judicial process that led to Selgado’s controversial ten-year sentence for abetment of murder.
The case centered on allegations that Selgado solicited the murder of Marilyn Barnes, a key witness in disciplinary proceedings that threatened his legal career. Prosecutors had argued that Selgado offered legal services to Giovanni Ramirez in exchange for carrying out the killing. However, the appellate judges determined that the trial court improperly admitted hearsay evidence after accepting that Ramirez was too fearful to testify, thereby depriving the defense of cross-examination rights.
The court identified multiple systemic failures, including the mysterious disappearance of critical video evidence from court custody and the reliance on unreliable voice identification techniques. In their strongly worded decision, the justices emphasized that ‘justice required more’ than the procedures followed in the original trial.
The ruling mandates Selgado’s immediate release and bars any retrial, citing the unavailability of the key witness. This decision has ignited intense scrutiny of Belize’s justice system, raising troubling questions about evidence preservation, witness protection protocols, and the adequacy of legal safeguards for defendants. Legal experts are now examining the implications for future criminal proceedings and public confidence in judicial institutions.