Haitian judges complete two weeks of strike – Prinsa Latina

For two weeks, the country’s courts have heard only urgent cases with minimal service, and they threaten to prolong the situation, until the government responds to their demands.

On February 8, President Juvenil Moise retired three judges alleged to be linked to a transitional government that it intended to replace him at the head of the country.

However, the constitution states that these judges are not “fixed,” which has led various bar associations to criticize the government’s actions, which they described as unconstitutional and out of law.

The authorities, for their part, defended the dismissal by ensuring that the decree guarantees the independence of the judiciary.

According to the consultant, Claude Joseph, the decree was based on Article 5 of the Judicial Work Act, “which prohibits judges from any partisan political demonstration.”

When a judge or judges declare themselves president, this is an approach that impedes freedom or at least the independence of justice. The Minister of International Relations and Worship said that the decision to send retired judges is a step aimed at restoring the independence of the judiciary.

On the other hand, judges’ associations indicated that the law provides for a procedure to replace vacant positions in the court, in which the Senate, the Presidency and the Supreme Judicial Council must participate, and stressed that judges are not subject to dismissal.

These organizations confirmed on Monday that they will continue the strike and hope that “the executive authority will make an effort to respond to its demands.”

In addition to the judges ’positions, various opposition sectors, social organizations, and unions question the legitimacy of Mois’s presidential term, and estimate that his term before the government expired on February 7.

They also accuse him of wanting to lead the country towards dictatorship, and the previous day, they called with religious organizations for a mass demonstration that gathered thousands of supporters of all social strata in various cities of the country.

M / ann