This is a relatively exceptional occurrence for a local court: since the beginning of September, the detached chamber of the Northern Islands has benefited from a new investigating magistrateBefore this judicial year began, cases requiring the intervention of an investigating judge were handled in Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe. The creation of this investigating chamber is explained by the upcoming transition to the autonomous functioning of the judicial court in Saint-Martin.
This new organization should allow for reduce the load of the investigating judge who had previously practiced alone in Basse-Terre, and so speed up the processing of files" explains Stéphanie Bazart, prosecutor of the Basse-Terre court.
“There is also an objective of bringing the judge closer to the litigant“,” the prosecutor emphasizes. For the victims in particular, this proximity must facilitate access to justice, avoiding certain trips in Basse-Terre or videoconference appointments.
This development, decided by the Ministry of Justice, is part of the extension of the creation, in September 2025, of a cabinet dedicated to the enforcement of sentences in Saint-Martin. This new investigating magistrate's office responds to the increase in judicial activity, particularly criminal, on both islands, and prepares the transition to a autonomous judicial court by 2027.
The prosecution team has also been strengthened with the arrival of two new deputy prosecutors, one of which is filling a position that has been vacant for almost a year. Crown account now three full-time magistrates In Saint-Martin, this will help streamline the processing of files.
Two clerks Finally, these reinforcements are being completed, one joining the new investigating judge and the other the prosecutor's office. _DR
