The Port-au-Prince Bar Association has called on members of the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT) to be held accountable for their stewardship of the country, warning that the transition has failed to deliver meaningful progress in justice, security and governance.
In a statement signed by its president, Patrick Pierre-Louis, the Bar Association reminded those exercising constituted powers of the obligations outlined in the Political Agreement that conferred legitimacy on the CPT, and urged them to account for their actions so the nation can draw lessons from the transition period.
The statement follows a General Assembly of lawyers held on November 21, 2025, and comes amid mounting concern over what the Association described as the absence of concrete measures to strengthen Haiti’s justice system after 19 months of exceptional transitional authority.
The Bar Association pointed to the unresolved assassination of former Bar president Monferrier Dorval—now 65 months old—as emblematic of the justice system’s paralysis. It also cited the lack of a coherent judicial and security policy in the face of widespread violence by armed gangs, particularly against vulnerable and marginalized communities.
Lawyers expressed alarm at what they described as the chronic inability of the State to establish the conditions necessary for restoring the rule of law, noting that members of the legal profession remain its guardians. They warned that once state authority is re-established, the justice system will face severe strain in addressing investigations, judicial rulings, enforcement of judgments and claims for redress arising from the multitude of crimes committed during the transition.
The statement further criticized the absence of a national strategy to address the structural challenges of the transition and raised concern over the looming expiration of the April 3, 2024 Political Agreement on February 7, 2026. According to the Bar Association, this deadline poses serious risks to government institutions and national sovereignty.
At what it described as a critical juncture in Haiti’s national life, the Association said it was outraged by the public conduct of senior state officials, accusing them of engaging in petty disputes driven by personal or clan interests rather than focusing on urgent national priorities.
Despite its sharp criticism, the Bar Association emphasized the importance of preserving the general interest through constructive dialogue among the country’s key social and institutional forces.
In closing, the Association reiterated its call for members of the CPT to respect the requirements of the Political Agreement and to provide a full account of how they have exercised their mandate, “so that the nation may learn from this experience.”
The statement was issued in Port-au-Prince on January 28, 2026.
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