Following the decision of Judge Lamarre Bélizaire to declare not guilty the alleged leaders of the gang Galil, Woodly Ethéart, aka "Sonson Lafamilia" and Renel Nelfort aka "Le Récif", accused of being the masterminds of a wave of violence in the Haitian capital, including assassinations, money laundering, kidnapping and robbery https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13663-haiti-justice-an-unacceptable-verdict.html the President of the Bar Carlos Hercules, of the Order of Advocates of the Bar of Port-au-Prince, in a statement strongly reacted to this decision, he describes as "denial of the right".

"The Bar of Port-au-Prince expresses its astonishment of the fundamental failure to comply of the penal Procedure by some judges of the Republic. The criminal audience without jury assistance of 17 April 2015, under the presidency of Judge Lamarre Bélizaire at the courthouse in Port-au-Prince, is indicative of the characterized contempt of suspensive and devolutionary effect of the penal appeals of the obligation to indict an accused person referred to the criminal court; of the court's jurisdiction rule and the adversarial principle.

Indeed, despite the appeal of theappeal by three accused; the absence of indictments and translative for four and the request for referral of the case to procedural irregularities, the court nevertheless held audience for both defendants, while turning the other defendants to prison.

In doing so, the President of the Criminal Court distinguished two people with similar charges, referred to the criminal court at the same time and having renounced to their right to the higher court. The legal independence of the judge has does not exempt him from his duty to justice and respect the laws of the Republic.

The Bar of Port-au-Prince intends by that communication informs the students, student-lawyers, trainees and the general public that the activity of 17 April 2015, the latest in a series, is the denial of rights. Thus, members of the Superior Council of the Judiciary and the Ministry of Justice and Public Security are encouraged to be vigilant concerning the discipline of magistrates sitting and standing. They have a responsibility to go out justice from the wilt in which it is immersed in.

The Bar of Port-au-Prince takes advantage of this to urge lawyers to hold a moderate language in their public interventions and human rights organizations to be respectful of the members of the corporation of lawyers. The monitoring role,

after all necessary and essential, does not displace respect for the dignity of all.

Port-au-Prince, April 20, 2015

Me Carlos Hercules, President of the Bar"

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13663-haiti-justice-an-unacceptable-verdict.html

HL/ HaitiLibre