Mid-term performance evaluation report : Haiti justice sector strengthening program (JSSP)

Successful interventions demonstrate that the activity is effective at addressing technical problems, while difficulties in promoting judicial independence show that JSSP is less effective in addressing problems with political causes. Support to legal assistance offices provided legal assistance to those who could not afford an attorney, particularly to detainees, and contributed to a reduction in prolonged pretrial detention, a longstanding problem. JSSP sought to support greater efficiency through development of a new criminal code that has not yet been enacted and implementation of a Case Management Information System (CMIS). JSSP encouraged increased Haitian Government ownership of key justice initiatives by promoting reform legislation, legal education reform through Haitian institutions, memoranda of understanding with key governmental bodies, and establishment of agencies to manage legal assistance and CMIS, but it is unclear if the government has sufficient resources to continue JSSP initiatives after the activity ends. JSSP’s effect on professionalization has been limited. Judicial decisions are not independently made, and promoting judicial independence is difficult because politicians do not want to relinquish their control over the judiciary. Despite JSSP interventions, there is a lack of confidence in the formal justice sector. The evaluation report concludes with 11 recommendations for JSSP in its final year.