Lawmakers ratify legal assistance treaty with Belize COLLABORATION: The pact would enable the two nations to combat transnational crime more efficiently and effectively, a deputy minister said Staff writer, with CNA The legislature yesterday ratified the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters with the government of Belize, which allows the two nations to cooperate on crime prevention and prosecution. In a joint meeting in Taipei, the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee and the Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee unanimously agreed to adopt the bilateral accord, without going to cross-caucus negotiations. The treaty comprises 22 articles under which the two nations are able assist each other in the areas of crime prevention, criminal investigation, prosecution and court procedures.