Haiti’s president, Jovenel Moise, appointed three new judges to the Supreme Court on Friday to replace the three magistrates who were fired on Monday after being charged with participating in a coup.
The new decree appears to be inconsistent with the constitutional rules for the election of Supreme Court magistrates, as well as the executive order by which he retired the other judges.
The Basic Law reserves the privilege of the Senate to submit a shortlist of three candidates to integrate the Supreme Court, under which the president must elect one magistrate.
The three new magistrates appointed by Moise are Octélus Dorvilien, Louiselmé Joseph and Pierre Harry Alexis.
Currently, the Senate is practically closed and only one third of its 30 members are retaining its mandate, as Parliament was not renewed in time due to the postponement of the elections scheduled for 2019.
Last Monday, Moise ordered the forced retirement of Judges Joseph Mécène Jean Louis, Yvickel Dabrésil and Wendelle Coq Thelot by decree for plotting a coup.
Dabrésil was arrested last weekend and released Thursday by order of the court, while Jean Louis, dean of the Supreme Court, last Monday accepted the appointment of the opposition to take the position of the country’s ‘interim president’. in spite of Moise’s Authority.
This week, the United States and the Organization of American States (OAS) have expressed concern about the legality of the decree ordering the retirement of magistrates.
The dispute between the executive and the judges, backed by the opposition, has plunged Haiti into a serious political crisis.