JUSTICE REFORM PASSES PARLIAMENT AFTER MONTHS OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PORT AU PRINCE 001955 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR S/CRS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR INR/IAA WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM KJUS HA SUBJECT: JUSTICE REFORM PASSES PARLIAMENT AFTER MONTHS OF DELAYS REF: A. PORT AU PRINCE 1294 ¶B. PORT AU PRINCE 824 PORT AU PR 00001955 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Thomas C. Tighe for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The second and third of a package of three laws governing judicial reform passed the Chamber of Deputies in late November. The three laws require establishment of a judicial council to oversee the judiciary, set down required qualifications and obligations of "magistrates" (investigators and district court judges),and call for re-opening Haiti's magistrates school. The reforms would increase judicial independence from the executive, but still fall somewhat short of Western standards in that regard. Since the end of November, President Preval has taken up judicial reform as a new public theme, and his Commission on Judicial Reform continues to advance ideas to increase the capacity of the entire judicial system. The President's will to move on judicial reform, however, is not matched by Ministry of Justice capacity to implement this reform legislation. Corruption and dysfunctionality in the judiciary is one of Haiti's gravest institutional vulnerabilities, and a continuing barrier to democratic consolidation and economic growth. Tackling this issue will require continued focus from the Ministry of Justice, the President, civil society and the international community. End summary. Background: Justice in Haiti -------------- ¶2. (C) According to USAID justice program manager and former magistrate Gerard Fontain, many judicial personnel lack basic knowledge of the law as well as case processing and managerial skills. From arrest to trial, the flow of cases through the police, courts and prisons is broken. A United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report from June 2007 states that "Corruption among judges and prosecutors is rife in Haiti," and goes on to claim that "In some cases, magistrates make the progress and outcome of a case depend on the payment of cash, particularly through lawyers." The report calls for a significant increase in magistrates' salaries to reduce the temptation to take such bribes. 
 Laws Pass Parliament -------------- ¶3. (U) Parliament had been deliberating the package of three judicial reform laws since May, with a standoff with the Executive Branch over the content of the laws causing delays. The Executive and Parliament reached a compromise in July, and the Senate passed all three laws during August and September. The Chamber, hampered by poor attendance throughout August and September (the final months of their regular session),did not pass the final law until a November 27 extraordinary session. ¶4. (U) The first law, passed by the Chamber September 4, outlines the functions of the Superior Council of Judicial Authority (Conseil Superieur du Pouvoir Judiciare),which exists in Haitian law but has never functioned properly. Presided by the President of the Supreme Court, the eight-member council is comprised of several judges and one state prosecutor, as well as representatives of the MoJ, civil society and the Bar Association. With the exception of the President of the Supreme Court and the state prosecutor, who are council members "ex officio," council members are limited to three-year terms, renewable one time. The council is responsible for disciplining misconduct by judges and verifying competence and possible promotions for judicial officials. The MoJ maintains some budgetary authority over the council, a detail initially opposed by the parliament (ref A). (Note: Currently and historically, the judiciary is subordinate to the Executive Branch in all aspects of budget, operations and personnel. End note.) Existing magistrates will remain in their functions subject to vetting for competence and "moral integrity." The law tasks the Minister of Justice with taking the necessary measures to PORT AU PR 00001955 002.2 OF 003 designate members for the first Council. ¶5. (U) The second law, passed by the Chamber November 15, calls for the reopening of the school of magistrates (French acronym EMA),closed since 2003, to provide initial and ongoing training of magistrates. The law specifies that entrance and exit exams are required. Applicants must be between the ages of 25 and 50, and possess an undergraduate law degree. The President of the Supreme Court serves as President of EMA's administrative council, in addition to his or her function as President of the Superior Council of Judicial Authority. While the school has administrative autonomy, the MoJ retains a supervisory role, including the task of convoking the members of the first EMA administrative council. ¶6. (U) The third law governing the magistracy, passed by the Chamber November 27, defines the qualifications and obligations of judges and state prosecutors. It outlines the rights of magistrates vis-a-vis training, salaries, vacations and freedom of assembly, and also governs recruitment procedures. According to the law, candidates nominated by departmental and communal assemblies can become magistrates without attending the EMA, provided they meet certain educational requirements. The law sets the salary of the President of the Supreme Court as equivalent to that of the President of the Senate, and all other salaries as designated percentages of that amount. The Superior Council monitors magistrates, awards promotions, and determines disciplinary actions, with formal evaluations of magistrates every two years. The law clearly states that judges are independent of the Executive and Legislative branches. President's Commission on Justice Reform Pushes Forward -------------- ¶7. (C) President Preval created in April a Justice Reform Commission to formulate an "action plan" for justice reform (ref B). Commission member (and "Fusion" party spokesperson) Micha Gaillard told Poloff December 5 that commission positions are unpaid and the commission has received no money from the GOH, leading to a certain lassitude among its members. However, he reported that in their last meeting, commission members agreed to help the judiciary and civil society implement the three reform laws. As soon as the official government record, "Le Moniteur," publishes the laws, the commission will push the GOH to begin a massive awareness campaign for members of the judiciary and society in general. Gaillard believes Preval has the political will to move forward with justice reform, although he noted that the MoJ lacks administrative and organizational capacity to follow through on such efforts. ¶8. (SBU) The commission is planning additional activities with funding from the National Center for State Courts (NCSC, implementing partner for USAID's Judicial Strengthening and Reform Project). In December and January, commission members will travel to the provincial cities of Cap Haitien, Gonaives, Jacmel and Hinche to meet with local members of the judiciary and civil society. They hope to establish a smaller branch of the commission in each of these cities, consisting of one person each from the justice sector, civil society and MINUSTAH -- presumably to help monitor and implement judicial reform. The commission also hopes to undertake a study of the sources of dysfunction in the MoJ. Preval Shows Interest -------------- ¶9. (U) President Preval visited the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) November 30 and again December 7 to discuss strategies for strengthening the judiciary. President of the Supreme Court Georges Moise said after Preval's visit that he hoped the executive will increase judicial salaries to reduce corruption, an issue addressed in the new law on the magistracy. Moise also lamented the limited physical space in the MoJ. On his December 7 visit, Preval intoned: "What is important in this country is justice." Preval said his main goal was to reinforce the judiciary so that all three PORT AU PR 00001955 003.2 OF 003 GOH branches -- executive, judicial and legislative -- are equal. Preval also addressed the MoJ's space issue by suggesting moving some courts to new locations, and reiterated that the salary issue had been addressed in the recently-passed reform legislation. Hard Work Ahead -------------- ¶10. (C) Comment: Although getting these laws on the books is a huge step for judicial reform, implementation will be a challenge. The MoJ lacks the institutional capacity to resolve its own shortcomings. It will take long-term, concerted effort from all the players -- in the Presidency, the MoJ, civil society, and the international community -- to keep reform on track. Corruption in and lack of independence of the judiciary is a central barrier to fair, impartial and competent administration of justice. This is a critical institutional vulnerability in Haiti, and a central obstacle to Haiti's democratic consolidation and to the domestic and foreign investment needed to create jobs. While the new laws take major steps toward untangling the judiciary from the Executive Branch, the strong oversight role for the Executive that the new laws preserve indicates that Haiti is still far from the camp of Western nations with strong, independent judiciaries. SANDERSON