Judicial activities have been virtually halted for six weeks, to the great detriment of litigants, who continue to suffer the consequences of an already weakened justice system. Although a “judicial corridor” was set up to handle certain urgent matters since the start of the strike, the situation remains tense. The Collective of Standing Magistrates of Haiti (COMADH) says it is walking a tightrope.

Many cases remain stuck in drawers because of the strike. Criminal assize hearings without a jury have still not been held, even as criminal assizes with a jury have not taken place for several years in some jurisdictions of the country.