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Port-au-Prince, Monday, October 6, 2025.– After several years of inaccessibility due to gang violence, the Haitian courts officially reopened their doors this Monday, on the occasion of the judicial return 2025-2026. The ceremony was held at the Cour de cassation, Champ de Mars, marking an attempt by the State to regain control of the city centre of Port-au-Prince, despite a still precarious security climate. While this reopening gives rise to hope for redress, several magistrates are nevertheless alarming the profound decline in the judicial system, weakened by insecurity, lack of resources and the prolonged abandonment of the judiciary by the public authorities.
Members of the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT), Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, as well as representatives of the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ), among others, took part in the ceremony in peace, before conducting a field visit to the Champ de Mars to assess the progress of the remediation and rehabilitation work. This work aims to allow the gradual return of several ministries, including those of the Interior, Trade and Tourism, as well as the upcoming relocation of the CPT to the National Palace and the Primature to the Bicentennial. According to the Government, this initiative is part of a comprehensive effort to revitalize the administrative centre and restore state authority in the capital.
Judges ring alarm
Despite this symbolic resumption, several magistrates denounce the profound deterioration of the judicial system. « The system is now weakened by crises of all kinds », said Martel Jean Claude, president of the Association of Professional Magistrates (APM), on the microphone of Radio Métropole. In particular, it deplores the quasi-functionality of the courts in several parts of the country.
In Port-au-Prince, the Tribunal de Première Instance (TPI), the largest of the country's 18 jurisdictions, remains vacant, vandalized and looted. Justice Jean Claude deplores the fact that the expansion of gangs, which now control more than 85% of the metropolitan area, is the main obstacle to the administration of justice.
In several regions, fear paralyzes judicial activities: judges, lawyers, bailiffs and clerks are regularly threatened, making their mission almost impossible.
The magistrate calls on the government and the Supreme Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ) to adopt urgent measures to secure judicial infrastructures and protect the actors in the sector. He also called for a significant increase in the justice budget, which currently accounts for only about 1% of the national budget. In his view, it would require at least 4 per cent to ensure minimal functioning and rehabilitate the courts. He also called for an increase in the salaries of judges and better working conditions, in order to avoid repeated strikes that paralyze the system.
In this difficult context, the Prime Minister reaffirmed the Government's determination to strengthen the capacity of the Haitian National Police (HNP) and to restore the necessary security for the organization of democratic elections. Despite the many challenges, some judges continue to exercise « with honour and dignity »According to the Association of Judicial Professionals (APM), which salutes their resilience and commitment to restore the credibility of Haitian justice.
W.A.
