An extraordinary and public hearing was held this Friday, July 31, at the Court of Cassation to mark the official closing of the 2025-2026 judicial year, in accordance with Article 75 of the decree of August 22 relating to judicial organization.
An extraordinary and public hearing was held this Friday, July 31, at the Court of Cassation to officially mark the close of the 2025-2026 judicial year, in accordance with Article 75 of the August 22 decree on judicial organization.
On this occasion, the judges of the first Chamber of the Court reviewed the last cases on their docket. They issued six rulings, including two in urgent cases and four in ordinary cases. Following these decisions, the public prosecutor requested that the Court be pleased to declare the 2025-2026 judicial year closed.
Based on Article 75 of the August 22 decree on judicial organization, which states that the judicial year begins on the first Monday in October and ends on the last Friday in July, the President of the Court of Cassation, Jean-Joseph Lebrun, officially declared the 2025-2026 judicial year closed throughout the territory of the Republic.“By closing this judicial year, we are not celebrating the absence of difficulties; we are honoring the resilience of an institution that has refused to give up on its mission,” said the President of the Court of Cassation and the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ). He emphasized that the past year has shown that even in adversity, the Haitian justice system remains true to its mission.
Speaking next, the Government Commissioner at the Court of Cassation, Carvès Jean, reminded everyone that this court closing ceremony follows a long-standing tradition as well as the current regulatory provisions within the judiciary. According to him, it provides an opportunity to pause the institution’s operations and to take stock of the work completed over the past year.The chief prosecutor at the Court of Cassation took the opportunity to pay a heartfelt tribute to President Jean-Joseph Lebrun as well as to the judges of the Court for the efforts and sacrifices they make in handling their heavy daily responsibilities. He also congratulated all the prosecutors, who despite a particularly challenging situation, have provided effective support for the functioning of the institution.
During the ceremony, magistrate Carvès Jean presented honorary plaques to government deputy commissioners Yves Altidor, Jean Sainclair Joassaint, and Belette Larose, in recognition of the quality of their reports, their collaboration, discipline, and dedication in handling cases.In his occasional speech, President Jean-Joseph Lebrun spoke about a particularly challenging year for Haitian justice, as well as for the entire nation. He mentioned having a special thought for the many victims of the violence affecting the country: people who were killed, injured, or kidnapped, women and girls subjected to sexual violence, children forcibly recruited by armed groups, and all families plunged into pain and uncertainty.
According to the president of the country’s highest court, delivering justice has become a true act of courage. He praised the dedication of those in the judicial chain who have continued their work with professionalism, determination, and a deep sense of duty, despite such a particularly difficult context.The working conditions of judges and judicial staff, as well as the fight against impunity, remain, according to him, among the main challenges to be addressed. The president of the Court of Cassation and the CSPJ also called for better protection for judges, public prosecutors, clerks, and all justice system actors.
“It is now clear that no reform can fully take effect without a stable security environment. The independence of the judiciary cannot be fully guaranteed when judges carry out their duties under the constant threat of weapons,” regretted Jean-Joseph Lebrun, before reaffirming his commitment to continue the ongoing reforms, strengthen judicial independence, and build a justice system that is more effective, more credible, and closer to the citizens.”There can be no rule of law without strong justice; there can be no lasting democracy without an independent judiciary; there can be no true peace without credible justice,” he added.
President Lebrun also expressed his hope that the new judicial year would begin under the banner of restored security and strengthened republican institutions. The ceremony ended with a minute of silence in memory of the judge Antoine Norgaisse.
The extraordinary public hearing was chaired by Jean-Joseph Lebrun, president of the Court, along with the honorable judges Alténor Barthélemy, Marie Joceline Cazimir, Frantz Drice, and Maguy Florestal. The Public Prosecutor’s Office included Carvès Jean, government commissioner at the Court, Yves Altidor, and Fritz Gérard Chéry. They were assisted by Me Juliette Garçon Véus, the Court’s chief clerk, and Me Jeantilus Charnel, clerk of the bench.
