Possibility of Community Justice in Haiti: What Perspectives?
By Gesly Sinvilier · Port-au-Prince
· 3 min read · Updated 24 April 2026
Translated from French — AI-assisted and reviewed by the editorial team. The French version is authoritative. Read the original · About our translation policy
This week, the Association of Haitian Justices of the Peace (AJUPAH)
organized a workshop at the Karibe Hotel to explore avenues for the actual implementation of community justice to meet the needs for local, swift, and trustworthy justice. While the Haitian judicial system is going through a multidimensional crisis marked by institutional inefficiency, court congestion, and the population's growing distrust of the traditional judicial system, the idea of community justice is resurfacing as a viable alternative. This form of justice implies a conflict resolution method based on the direct involvement of communities in handling disputes. It values dialogue, mediation, conciliation, and respect for local customs. This model does not exclude the law but rather seeks to bring justice closer to citizens by integrating traditional knowledge and the social dynamics specific to each locality. In Haiti, this form of justice has existed informally for a long time, notably through the role of lakou, community leaders, or local mediation committees. However, it has never been fully recognized or institutionalized within the national judicial system. A National Context Conducive to Reflection The workshop held by the Association of Haitian Justices of the Peace (AJUPAH)
comes at a critical time when institutional vacuum, growing insecurity, and the saturation of jurisdictions make access to justice increasingly difficult, especially in rural areas or popular neighborhoods. It therefore becomes necessary to “reinvent our justice from the ground up, by giving communities back the means to resolve their own small daily disputes.” It should be noted, however, that community justice does not aim to replace judicial institutions but to complement them, particularly by decongesting peace courts and rebuilding trust between justice and the population. Advantages and Limitations of Such a Model Among the advantages highlighted: the speed of decisions, cost reduction, conflict prevention, and above all, the social acceptability of verdicts, as they often stem from community consensus. The experience of other countries in Africa and Latin America has shown that this model, when well-supervised, can greatly contribute to social peace and cohesion. However, several limitations were mentioned, notably the risk of abuse of power by untrained local authorities, discrimination based on gender or social status, and the lack of a formal legal framework. The question then arises of “the need for clear legislative oversight, to prevent community justice from becoming a source of injustice itself.” Towards Supervised Formalization? The workshop concluded with several concrete recommendations:
organized a workshop at the Karibe Hotel to explore avenues for the actual implementation of community justice to meet the needs for local, swift, and trustworthy justice. While the Haitian judicial system is going through a multidimensional crisis marked by institutional inefficiency, court congestion, and the population's growing distrust of the traditional judicial system, the idea of community justice is resurfacing as a viable alternative. This form of justice implies a conflict resolution method based on the direct involvement of communities in handling disputes. It values dialogue, mediation, conciliation, and respect for local customs. This model does not exclude the law but rather seeks to bring justice closer to citizens by integrating traditional knowledge and the social dynamics specific to each locality. In Haiti, this form of justice has existed informally for a long time, notably through the role of lakou, community leaders, or local mediation committees. However, it has never been fully recognized or institutionalized within the national judicial system. A National Context Conducive to Reflection The workshop held by the Association of Haitian Justices of the Peace (AJUPAH)
comes at a critical time when institutional vacuum, growing insecurity, and the saturation of jurisdictions make access to justice increasingly difficult, especially in rural areas or popular neighborhoods. It therefore becomes necessary to “reinvent our justice from the ground up, by giving communities back the means to resolve their own small daily disputes.” It should be noted, however, that community justice does not aim to replace judicial institutions but to complement them, particularly by decongesting peace courts and rebuilding trust between justice and the population. Advantages and Limitations of Such a Model Among the advantages highlighted: the speed of decisions, cost reduction, conflict prevention, and above all, the social acceptability of verdicts, as they often stem from community consensus. The experience of other countries in Africa and Latin America has shown that this model, when well-supervised, can greatly contribute to social peace and cohesion. However, several limitations were mentioned, notably the risk of abuse of power by untrained local authorities, discrimination based on gender or social status, and the lack of a formal legal framework. The question then arises of “the need for clear legislative oversight, to prevent community justice from becoming a source of injustice itself.” Towards Supervised Formalization? The workshop concluded with several concrete recommendations:
- The implementation of community mediation training for justices of the peace, communal section chiefs, and members of local committees.
- The development of a clear legislative framework to recognize, supervise, and oversee community justice bodies.
- The development of partnerships with civil society organizations to support local justice initiatives.
- The creation of appeal mechanisms allowing citizens to resort to formal justice in cases of abuse.
