Supreme Court of Haiti

The Supreme Court of Haiti (French: Cour de Cassation) is the highest court in the Haitian legal system. The Supreme Court building is located in Port-au-Prince.

Palais de Justice
Politics of Haiti
Constitution
  • Constitutional Court
  • Law
Legislature (not functioning)
Executive
  • Vacant (executive directed by PM and Cabinet)
Judiciary
Recent elections
  • Electoral body: CEP
Administrative divisions
Foreign relations
flag Haiti portal

History

From 1806–1817, the Senate of Haiti served judicial functions. The Supreme Court was first formed in 1817 under Petion's 1816 constitution as a body of a grand judge, dean, six judges and a government commissioner, all of whom were to be appointed for life. The first Grand Judge of the Supreme Court was André Dominique Sabourin, who concurrently served as Minister of Justice in Petion's cabinet. Other appointees to the court were:

  • Louis Germain Linard, dean
  • Jacques Ignace Fresnel
  • Jean Thézan,
  • Jean-François Lespinasse,
  • Thomas Gédeon Christ (who was sworn in later),
  • Lemerand
  • Pitre Jeune
  • Louis-Gabriel Audigé, Government Commissioner

Jules Solime Milscent was also appointed as the first clerk.

The Law of 16 July 1954 added a Judge to the eleven provided by the Law of 1918 and since then, the Court of Cassation of Haiti is composed of twelve Judges (including the President and Vice-President), a Government Commissioner, and three substitutes.

Composition

The Constitution of Haiti[1] stipulates that Supreme Court justices are appointed by the president from a list submitted by the senate of three persons per court seat.[2] It is unclear whether they are appointed for 10 years (Art. 174 says so) or for life (Art. 177 says so).[3]

Historically the court has frequently reversed its own opinions and its justices have often been replaced. Almost all new governments have a Supreme Court of their own choosing.[4] For example, in February 2021, President Jovenel Moise declared judges, Joseph Mécène Jean-Louis, Yvickel Dabrezil, and Wendelle Coq Thelot retired after the opposition had tried to replace Moises with Jean-Louis as president.[5]

Role

The Supreme Court of Haiti interprets and expounds all congressional enactments brought to it in cases, and as such it interprets state law. It also has superseding power over all courts to examine departmental and federal statutes and executive actions, determining whether they conform to the country's Constitution. The Labor Courts and the Land Court are only appealable to the Supreme Court, as opposed to the Juvenile Court and the High Court of Accounts.[6]

If the constitutionality of a law, statute, or an executive action is ruled against by the Supreme Court, its decision can be overcome if the Constitution is amended by the people parliaments or if the Court overrules itself. Decisions by the Court do not pertain to specific cases, rather are intended to encompass interpretation of legislature and executive authority, actually developing the way laws are interpreted. The Cour de Cassation therefore potentially yields the highest power in the Haiti governmental system.[7]

Under the 1987 constitution, the line of succession to the office of President of Haiti went first to the president of the Supreme Court, then to the vice-president of the court, then to judges in order of seniority. An election for president was required within three months and the acting president could not run for the office. This was amended in 2011-2012 to remove all judges from the presidential line of succession.

Palais de Justice

The Palais de Justice[8] (the Supreme Court building) was heavily damaged and partially collapsed as a result of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.[9]

Chief Justices of the Supreme Court
Chief Justice Took office Left office Notes
Joseph Nemours Pierre-Louis 1946 1957
Lélio Vilgrain[10] 1957 ?
Théodore Nicoleau[11][12] 1958 1961
Adrien Douyon[11] 1961 1963-?
Luc Boisvert[11] ? ?
Fournier Fortuné[13] ?-1980 1982
Rock Raymond[14] 1982 1985
Pierre Gonzalès[15] 1985[16] 1985
Luc D. Hector 1985 1987-? [17]
Pierre L. Jeannot ? 1989 [18]
Gilbert Austin 1989 1990-? [19][20]
Joseph Nérette ? 1991[21]
Émile Jonassaint 1991[21] 1993
Clausel Débrosse 1994 2000
Boniface Alexandre 2001 2006 [22]
Georges Moïse 2006 2011 [23]
Anel Alexis Joseph 2011 2015 [24]
Jules Cantave 2015 2019 [25]
René Sylvestre 2019 2021 [25]
Jean Joseph Lebrun 2022 current [26]

Current members
  • Jean Joseph Lebrun, President (since 2022)
  • Jean-Claude Théogène, vice-president (since 2019)
  • Barthélemy Anténor (since 2019)
  • Jean-Joseph Lebrun (since 2019)

References
  1. "Haiti: Constitution, 1987".
  2. Article 175 of the Constitution of Haiti
  3. IBP, Inc. 2015. Haiti Labor Laws and Regulations Handbook – Strategic Information and Basic Laws. Lulu.com. p. 15–. ISBN 978-1-329-05813-2.
  4. Irwin P. Stotzky, 1999. Silencing the Guns in Haiti: The Promise of Deliberative Democracy. University of Chicago Press. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-226-77627-9.
  5. Haiti President Tells VOA He Retired 3 Judges to 'Protect' Supreme Court, VOA, Sandra Lemaire, February 10, 2021
  6. IBP, Inc. 2013. Haiti Labor Laws and Regulations Handbook – Strategic Information and Basic Laws. Lulu.com. p. 103. ISBN 978-1-4387-7907-2.
  7. Rene Chery, 2011. Women and Children's Tribulation in Haiti. Xlibris Corporation. p. 247. ISBN 978-1-4628-8814-6.
  8. CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, airdate 25 January 2010
  9. Lacey, Marc (24 January 2010). "Cultural Riches Turn to Rubble in Haiti Quake". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
  10. Célestin, Clément (1959). "Compilations pour l'histoire: les gouvernements provisoires, 6 décembre 1956 au 25 mai 1957" (in French). Impr. N.A. Théodore.
  11. Péan, Leslie Jean-Robert (2003). Haïti: L'ensauvagement macoute et ses conséquences, 1957-1990 (in French). Maisonneuve et Larose. ISBN 9782706819889.
  12. "The West Indies and Caribbean Year Book: Anuario Comercial de Las Antillas Y Paises Del Caribe". Caribook Limited. 1961.
  13. "Haïti, Cour de cassation, 14 mars 1980, 14-03-80" (in French). 14 March 1980.
  14. "Haïti, Cour de cassation, 06 juillet 1982, 06-07-82" (in French). 6 July 1982.
  15. "TEXTES RÉGLEMENTAIRES" (PDF).
  16. "Au Palais de justice". Le Nouvelliste.
  17. "Head of Supreme Court Appointed to Haiti's Ruling Junta". Associated Press.
  18. "Daily Report: Latin America". Foreign Broadcast Information Service. February 1989.
  19. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. Dumay, Rev Emmanuel (15 March 2011). The Era of Military Coups D 'Etat: Haiti 1986-1991. ISBN 9781469113166.
  21. "Latin America Regional Reports: Caribbean 91/1991". Latin American Newsletters Limited. 1991.
  22. "Embassy of the Republic of Haiti, Washington D.C." 27 April 2006. Archived from the original on 27 April 2006.
  23. "Cour de cassation d'Haïti : nouveau Président". Association des Cours Constitutionnelles Francophones (in French). 16 October 2011.
  24. "Me Anel Alexis Joseph est parti…". Le Nouvelliste.
  25. Cadet, Ruth (1 February 2019). "René Sylvestre prend les rênes de la Cour de Cassation et du CSPJ". Le Nouvelliste (in French).
  26. "Jean Joseph Lebrun prête serment comme nouveau président de la Cour de cassation". Le Nouvelliste.

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