Four years ago, Matura Shepherd was planning to go into private practice as an attorney. But that’s when the call to champion OCEANA’s cause sent her on a different path. Though she intends to resume her plans, she will still appear at the OCEANA cases that she is involved with. Matura Shepherd indicated she will be more vocal on issues including the gender rights.
Audrey Matura Shepherd, VP, Oceana Belize
“I am going back into private practice. I hope to be doing a lot of constitutional law cases, family law cases and criminal cases those are the areas I really like but litigation definitely is a part of my portfolio. So that is where I am going, and I will remain very much involved in environmental issues, I will remain with Coalition to save our Natural Heritage, I am one of the founding member there, OCEANA remains a partner of that organization. Apart from that I will definitely be a community activist in so many other topics other than oil; that is just me that is how I am. I don’t know if you can call it that, but I will not shy away from the LGBT issue, definitely not.
"I think one of the reasons I opted to resign was because OCEANA was asking me not to discuss that and I couldn’t give up the right o have a say on that issue in Belize, so definitely it will be one of the issues. I will be far more vocal and I am already being asked to do public presentation and I do public presentations on that issue. This is what I will say to people in politics, a lot of people think that I will go into politics. My answer is not yes nor is it not no outright; if I find that in my path, that in my heart and in my real spirit I feel that that is what is should do I will do it but honestly immediately it is not a part of my plan. It is to start a movement. A people generated and powered movement. Where we will and lobby for changes in this country, especially legislative changes for transparency and accountability.
"And it is a movement that I want the Belizean people to finance so you have to pay a membership to help get this movement going, because for too long we have been dependent on people doing other things. So I am very excited to what I will be doing from Friday onwards, because I stop working Thursday but I wish all the best to OCEANA and I stand ready to support them. In relation to the court cases that are before the courts I intend to be there at every hearing. I am a witness in the case all the affidavit is in my name. I don’t have to be the V.P. of OCEANA to follow it up and you all will see me in court I will see that case all the way to the court of justice