Appendix II

U.S. and Other Donors' Assistance to the 

Haitian Judicial Sector, Fiscal Years 1993 

2001

Office of Overseas 

The Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and 

Prosecutorial 

Training had two primary objectives under the USAID Administration of 

Justice Program: (1) to provide training to judges, prosecutors, and 

Development, 

investigating magistrates; and (2) to improve the administrative capabilities 

Assistance and 

of judicial institutions. To accomplish the first objective, this office 

supported the creation of a magistrate school to provide training as part of 

Training Aid

a judicial career path. To achieve the second objective, the office sought to 

improve the capabilities of the prosecutors' offices and later to expand 

these capabilities to other judicial institutions.

In July 1995, the Haitian Ministry of Justice, with the support of the United 

States and France, established the magistrate school on the grounds of the 

former Haitian military academy in Port au Prince. The Office of Overseas 

Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training provided $2.1 million 

in assistance to support the development of this school between fiscal 

years 1995 and 2000. The office took the lead in developing and delivering 

short term and long term training for magistrates at the school based upon 

a judicial career path devised by the office in consultation with France and 

the Ministry of Justice. The office initiated short term training courses in 

order to provide continuing legal education for sitting judges. The office 

developed long term training for new magistrates and participated in 

developing minimum admission requirements for this training. Also, the 

office assisted the Ministry of Justice in developing and strengthening the 

judicial career. This involved helping the Ministry of Justice revise salaries 

for magistrates, develop criteria and draft legislation for evaluating and 

removing magistrates, systematize a methodology for judicial placements, 

and develop legislation for regulating the magistrate school. In addition, the 

office helped design a performance evaluation for all magistrates, which 

the Ministry of Justice did not implement.

The Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and 

Training also supported enhancing the administrative capabilities of the 

prosecutors' offices by implementing a case tracking system within 

specific jurisdictions at a cost of $0.5 million. The office also provided 

$4.4 million in assistance to expand the administrative capabilities of these 

and other judicial institutions within these jurisdictions. In fiscal year 1996, 

the office began to provide assistance in six judicial jurisdictions Cayes, 

Petit Goave, Jacmel, Saint Marc, Gonaives, and Cap Haitien. By August 

1998, the office had expanded its assistance to 10 jurisdictions, with the 

addition of Port au Prince, Mirebalais, Grand Riviere du Nord, and Aquin. 

The assistance was designed to apply practices and lessons taught during 

Page 31

GAO 01 24  Foreign Assistance