# Audrey Matura

Audrey Matura-Shepherd is a Belizean activist, lawyer and president of the Christian Workers' Union (CWU). She worked at The Guardian newspaper.

## Quotes

* A man who says he will not say anything, and yet makes a pronouncement against the very thing he said he won’t say anything about, is a dangerous person. You can’t believe anything he says. He has been able to get away with that type of speaking and language for too long… and he is always behind the scenes, controlling everything.
** About Dean Barrow, as quoted in Attorney Audrey Matura says PM Barrow is a violator of the rule of law (December 30, 2017), Amandala
* [Barrow]…called me in one day and told me, ‘I don’t want you to write against him anymore’. And he told me I had to go to a meeting with Michael Ashcroft, because he wanted to meet me, so I went to the meeting and I was in disagreement. Dean Barrow’s favorite phrase to me was, ‘he who pays the piper calls the tune’. So that’s why I call him the piper. But I do not sing to his tune. In short, I continued writing against Michael Ashcroft. So what they did, they put Denys Barrow as my immediate supervisor. I had to send the dummy of the newspaper to Denys Barrow to approve before we send it to bed, as we call it, to get it printed. Many times I sent a fake dummy and still printed what I wanted, because I refused to bend to their wishes. And that’s why I eventually left the party. So, I know from experience that Wave Radio, Guardian newspaper, would never take up an agenda that doesn’t have the stamp of approval of the Prime Minister. [...] I think they need some public flogging of them. I don’t want to go legally, because we need to follow the trend the Prime Minister has set. He breaks the rule of law, so why should I comply with the rule of law. The people are not understanding what has become of this society. They are not appreciating what the Prime Minister personally has done every time he gets on the media and gives an interview and says that the court has made a wrong decision and he will not comply with it. That is breaking and disrespecting the rule of law. So, if your Prime Minister could disrespect the rule of law, who me, I don’t have to comply with it… We do not want to look at this country for what it is. You know what… what I see is a terrible trend. I could go through every agreement, every law they passed and show you the hypocrisy of the Prime Minister… He uses his legal knowledge to undermine this country. Remember he broke the law with that PetroCaribe spending, and he went and passed a new law retroactively to legalize his illegal action. That is a tyrant.
** As quoted in Attorney Audrey Matura says PM Barrow is a violator of the rule of law (December 30, 2017), Amandala
* We are launching a petition to the government to ensure that issues of pornography are dealt with legislatively, socially and through institution. We are also asking that women not be victimized because of their sexuality. So we are asking the government to comply with something that they have already agreed to do internationally. [...] I want them to focus on two main things. We are signing a petition that deals with two issues. There is a convention on the rights of the child; Article 34 specifically deals with pornography and sexual exploitation of children. The government already signed and ratified those things. They need to deal with the domestic legislation, programs, budgeting, whatever they need to curb that. The second one is that we also signed the convention on all forms of discrimination against women. One of them is to ensure that private institutions can’t victimize you as women
** In support of a revenge porn victim. As quoted in Activist Audrey Matura stages solidarity demonstration for Wesley College student (February 27, 2019), Amandala
* To me as a legal professional we don't want everybody out there to know that many times the court doesn’t give you a decision immediately because the rule is justice delayed is justice denied. [...] As a legal professional we know that the court holds the authority over us and at the end of the day we still have to go back to the court.
** As quoted in Attorney Audrey Matura responds to scolding from Court of Appeal (May 6, 2020) by Courtney Menzies, LOVE FM
* What others say is a reflection of them, that's how the court reflects itself and that's how they see they need to respond.
** As quoted in Attorney Audrey Matura responds to scolding from Court of Appeal (May 6, 2020) by Courtney Menzies, LOVE FM
* Monopolies are illegal in other countries. Only in Belize any [bleep] goes.
** Attorney Audrey Matura Writes to B.B.S. Director Jose Trejo (June 16, 2020), Channel 5

## External links

* Meet the new executive of the Christian Workers Union (December 16, 2013), Channel 5
* Star in my community-Audrey Matura (November 6, 2017), Breaking Belize News
* Audrey Matura at WorldCat