Haiti recently passed a new law that creates a legal basis for the Legal Aid Offices in the country. ISLP and its volunteers were crucial in strengthening and developing a program that the Haitian Government will be implementing.
ISLP was part of the development of a national legal aid system since 2008 working to improve access to justice for the poor in Haiti by strengthening the government’s capacity to manage the National Legal Aid System.
ISLP worked with the International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC) and the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) to assist nascent Haitian legal aid centers, the Bureaux D’Assistance Legale (BALs). ISLP volunteers provided technical and strategic assistance and support to BALs attorneys to contribute to a sustainable legal aid system in Haiti.
Marie-Claude Jean Baptiste (Programs Director, Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice) and ISLP volunteer, Patrick Murray (Winston and Strawn) were essential in the success of this initiative.
About the International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC)
The ILAC is a Swedish non-profit organization that gathers wide-ranging legal expertise and competencies from around the world to help rebuild justice systems in countries that in conflict, post conflict, or in transition toward peace and democracy. ILAC is comprised of more than 50 legal organizations and experts representing 3 million legal professionals worldwide.
About the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)
The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) was established on 1 June 2004 by Security Council resolution 1542. MINUSTAH’s mandate is to restore a secure and stable environment, to promote the political process, to strengthen Haiti’s Government institutions and rule-of-law structures, and to promote and protect human rights.
About the Bureaux D’Assistance Legale (BALs)
Managed by local bar associations, the objectives of the BALs are to provide legal assistance to indigent persons including those held in pre-trial detention; reduce the length of pre-trial detention; reduce the level of violence and criminality in disadvantaged neighborhoods; ensure that access to justice is respected as a right, and that it is systematically enforced in criminal proceedings; deliver civic education, including the training of community leaders; and provide mediation services as an alternative dispute resolution method.