P-au-P, July 11, 2024 [AlterPresse] — The Citizens’ Organization for a New Haiti (OCNH) expresses its concerns regarding the continuation of the standing magistrates’ strike in the 18 court jurisdictions in Haiti, in a note sent to the online agency AlterPresse.
The Ocnh declares that it recognizes the relevance of the demands of the magistrates, with a view to combating salary inequalities in the Haitian judiciary and demanding better working conditions.
However, the human rights organisation said it deplored “that this movement was launched in a context where the judicial system must mobilise to provide responses to serious human rights violations, impunity and the fight against arbitrary detention”.
“Survivors of rape and sexual violence who are victims of armed gangs are waiting for justice and reparations. The phenomenon of impunity and the fight against corruption cannot be effectively addressed by a virtually dysfunctional justice system.”
In addition, “over the past four years (from 2020 to 2024), Haitian justice has experienced moments of chronic dysfunction, not only because of political turbulence and work stoppages by judicial personnel, but especially because of the deterioration of the country’s security climate. Litigants are always the main victims of these situations,” notes the Ocnh.
This new work stoppage, the launch of which was announced on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 by the Collective of Standing Magistrates of Haiti (Comadh), to protest against the unfair treatment between standing magistrates and seated magistrates, is currently paralyzing all activities in the courts of first instance of the republic, she reports.
Comadh called for the implementation of the necessary measures, aimed at putting an end to discrimination between standing and seated magistrates, following the publication of the circular, dated March 6, 2023, from the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Mjsp), which had promised a regularization of salary treatment and social benefits in favor of agents and officers of the public prosecutor’s office of the republic.
The National Association of Haitian Clerks (Anagh) has expressed its solidarity with the strike of standing magistrates, who are denouncing the unequal treatment they suffer in the judicial system.
Since the year 2023, very frequent work stoppages disrupt the functioning of the judicial system.
On Tuesday, July 9, 2024, the Ocnh reported having held discussions with the leaders of Comadh and Anagh, for a resolution of the situation.
The authorities at the level of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security have already provided some insignificant satisfaction to the demands of the strikers, she recalls.
It invites the actors and actresses to go beyond and return to the discussion table, in order to guarantee respect for the principle of continuity of public justice services, while proposing to play a facilitating role in this matter in the search for a negotiated solution, as part of its advocacy for good judicial governance. [emb apr 11/07/2024 12:00]
