With the support of BINUH, the penal chain monitoring committee brought together some thirty key actors in the penal chain to discuss the problems and blockages at the root of the high rate of prolonged pre-trial detention and propose concrete solutions. During this meeting held at BINUH, on November 6 under the direction of the Dean of the Court of First Instance of Port-au-Prince, assisted by the Government Commissioner and the Director of Judicial Affairs of the Ministry of Justice, the participants (judges and investigating judges, deputy government commissioners, Director of the Penitentiary Administration, representatives of the PNH, the Bar and human rights NGOs) formulated several recommendations and made useful decisions.
Restoring the principle of permanence of investigating judges to the public prosecutor's office; restoring immediate personal appearance before the investigating judge; holding hearings for minors next week and establishing an inter-institutional commission for the social and educational reintegration of minors; organizing criminal hearings with jury assistance at the Court of Appeal in the near future; mobilizing trainees from the Port-au-Prince Bar to support the investigating division in reconstituting files and strengthening administrative capacities within said division, are the main recommendations made during the meeting.
