In Belize, legislators have now revised the Criminal Code several times to ensure it encompasses a wider range of sexual offences and guarantees children greater protections.

Over the past decade, these legislative reforms have included the adoption of acts prohibiting human trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). The Domestic Violence Act was also revised in 2007 to permit greater punitive measures for perpetrators who engage in physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, and financial abuse. The Act describes a spouse as either married or unmarried, recognizing customary practices such as common law marriage or otherwise de facto spouses, and contains provisions for the issuance of court orders to protect a spouse and/or any children and provide financial compensation to victims.