©️Jordany Junior Verdieu
Cayes, August 3, 2025.- On Wednesday, 30 July, the Court of First Instance (TPI) of Les Cayes completed a series of criminal trials that began on 7 July. During these three weeks of hearings, 35 cases were tried: 27 accused were acquitted and 8 convicted. The Dean of the ICTY, Magistrate Lucien Jocelyn, praised the success of this session, which he considers an important step in the fight against the congestion of the judicial system.
These hearings, conducted with the assistance of a jury, dealt with major offences such as murder, rape and armed robbery. Some of the cases went back several years and concerned detainees held without trial, illustrating the persistent problem of prolonged pretrial detention.
Magistrate Lucien Jocelyn stressed the commitment of magistrates, clerks and jurors, despite the logistical challenges facing the jurisdiction. It also calls for a regular basis and increased State support to ensure the effective and fair functioning of criminal justice.
The Civil Prison of Les Cayes, like the number of prisons in Haiti, suffers from a critical overcrowding. The holding of these assizes, although punctual, has allowed the prison centre to be partially decongested and to advance cases that have been blocked for too long.
For Magistrate Lucien Jocelyn, each case is a step towards justice, respect for human rights and the restoration of public confidence in judicial institutions.
W.E.
