The Investigating Judge, Jean-Wilner Morin has been in the spotlight for some time. And he has become increasingly vocal in recent weeks in relation to the investigation of certain extremely sensitive judicial cases that are entrusted to him. For some, Mr. Morin is a defender of the independence of the judicial system. A system made more and more moribund and inefficient by the political and economic powers of the country.
The investigating magistrate attracts attention because of the intransigence, rigor and courage that characterize him in the treatment of his cases. However, his work, he carries out it not without difficulty. He struggles to shed light on complex cases with the means at hand. He has not had a work vehicle for some time and there are not enough PNH agents to ensure his security. He does not have the necessary support from the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSPJ), which should give him the necessary means to accomplish his task. This has led the magistrate to consider resigning, according to one of his fellow magistrates. “Jean-Wilner Morin considers that his efforts are like a sword in the water”, according to this close friend.
A resignation of Judge Morin! Some would surely gloat. These include the defenders of this corrupt system who are working to perpetuate it, as well as the political and economic powers that are committed to the vassalization of the judicial system and the “crisis-makers” who make their money in this system of corruption, instituted at the expense of the population.
While some would welcome the eventual resignation of Judge Morin, many others would be very disappointed, as the magistrate had given them some hope in justice in the midst of this generalized chaos in Haiti. These are mainly those who, despite the institution of corruption as a rule in Haiti, still hold out some hope for the renewal of this battered country, which will necessarily involve the independence of the judiciary.
Jean-Wilner Morin is a judge that the PHTK regime, in place since 2011, does not want and has done everything to eject him from the system. This is evidenced by the categorical refusal of the late President Jovenel Moïse to renew his mandate as an investigating judge, despite the fact that all the necessary formalities have been completed in this sense. Morin spent the last 30 months of Jovenel’s presidency without a mandate as an investigating judge. If it were not for the fact that his mandate as a judge had not yet expired, he would simply be excluded from the system, as Martelly had done with the former dean of the civil court of Gonaïves, Me Pharaon Gustave, who had given the PHTK boss a hard time, as he played with his hands and feet to totally enslave the judicial system via the Superior Council of the Judiciary, presided over by his protégé, Anel Alexis Joseph, who did everything possible to satisfy the vilest whims of the president of the “legal criminals.
Integrity, competence and courage
Integrity, competence and courage are the three most important qualities of a magistrate. It is hard to say that Judge Jean-Morin does not possess them. The integrity of the president of the National Association of Haitian Magistrates has never been questioned. In fact, his name has never been cited in corruption scandals. His competence has not been questioned either. Even if some of his colleagues, for one reason or another, disapprove of some of his decisions, even accusing him of being “arrogant and showy”. Courage is surely one of the greatest qualities of the boss of ANAMAH. Morin takes on some pretty powerful people that many of his colleagues would not dare to do because of “lack of courage and fear”. His courage has earned him much praise but also criticism from, in large part, defenders of the corrupt system.
In December, one of the judges with a reputation for seriousness, Chavanne Etienne, inherited the position of dean a.i. of the civil court of Port-au-Prince, following the departure of the former dean, Bernard Sainvil, whose term had expired. Morin’s seriousness has led the new dean to entrust him with very sensitive cases, including those related to the corruption scandal at the Social Assistance Fund, the customs service and the gang leader of “Base Pilate”, Ezéchiel Alexandre alias Ze, arrested for kidnapping, murder, armed robbery and criminal association…. The magistrate has already taken many actions in these cases, proving, once again, that he is very courageous. His possible resignation would therefore be a very hard blow.
Morin cannot resign!
To resign is to give the gravediggers a free hand.
To resign is to concede another defeat to the bandits, the corrupters and the corrupted.
To resign is to kill hope.
Jean-Wilner Morin is not the only judge on whom the population can count. There are others who, along with Morin, represent the hope of a strong and independent justice. A justice that, sooner or later, should no longer be subservient to a criminal political power that works to the detriment of the interests of a people in constant distress and to the benefit of interest groups that, for ages, have sought only to enrich themselves more and more on the backs of the population.