Legal status
Electronic bills of lading in Belize
Belize recognises electronic transferable records through Part VII of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2021 (Act No. 25 of 2021), which repealed the earlier Electronic Transactions Act (Cap. 229:03).
- Status
- In force
- Instrument
- Electronic Transactions Act, 2021 (Act No. 25 of 2021)
- MLETR-based
- Yes
- Enacted
- 5 Oct 2021
- In force since
- 5 Oct 2021
- Scope
- Part VII (sections 30 to 40) applies to any transferable document or instrument, defined generically as a paper document entitling the holder to claim performance of an obligation and to transfer that right by transferring the document; bills of lading are not named but fall within the definition. Securities such as shares and bonds and other investment instruments are excluded, and other rules of law governing transferable documents, including consumer protection, continue to apply.
In more detail
A legal requirement for a transferable document or instrument is met by an electronic record where a reliable method identifies the record, makes it subject to control and preserves its integrity, and possession is met by exclusive control. The Act contains no commencement provision, so under section 41 of the Interpretation Act it took effect on the Governor-General's assent on 5 October 2021; it was gazetted on 9 October 2021. UNCITRAL lists Belize as having adopted legislation based on the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records in 2021.
What remains unclear
Section 53 allows the Minister to exclude specific written laws from the Act by Order, and section 54 allows implementing Regulations; no Order or Regulations affecting Part VII were identified. No amendment to the Act after 2021 was identified as of 16 October 2026.
Sources
- Electronic Transactions Act, 2021 (Act No. 25 of 2021)Government of Belize (copy hosted by the Belize Intellectual Property Office) · published 9 Oct 2021 · accessed 16 Oct 2026supports: status, instrument, MLETR basis, enacted, in force since, scope, summary
- Status: UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (2017)UNCITRAL · accessed 16 Oct 2026supports: status, MLETR basis, summary
- Interpretation Act, Chapter 1, Substantive Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2020Attorney General's Ministry, Government of Belize · accessed 16 Oct 2026supports: status, in force since, summary