In 2014, the Aruban legislature decided that the Joint Court of Justice must assess, after 20 years, whether an individual serving a life sentence may be eligible for conditional release. The Court evaluates whether the person no longer poses a danger and is ready to reintegrate into society. In doing so, the situation and interests of the victim and/or their next of kin are carefully weighed. According to the law, if the Court does not grant release, it must re-evaluate the situation every five years.
In Aruba, the first review of a life sentence has been under judicial consideration since February 2026. The case involves convict C.A.H. The investigation was suspended until August 31, 2026, following an explicit request by the Court to hear the position of the surviving family members.
According to the Court, substantial time is still needed to establish which conditions must be satisfied before any potential release can take place. Therefore, the Court decided to postpone the evaluation by one year, until 2027. Additionally, the Court requested an interim progress update from the Public Prosecutor’s Office in six months.
Because the legislature incorporated this review into the Criminal Code, the Government established a “Life Sentences Commission.” This commission is tasked with gathering the necessary data to enable the Court to conduct a thorough and careful assessment.
The underlying principle of the legislation is that continuing the sentence is meaningful only if it serves a reasonable purpose. At the same time, the interests of society and the position of victims and their next of kin are fully considered. Yesterday, the relatives of one of C.A.H.’s victims were present in the courtroom to clarify their stance. They clearly stated that they do not believe the man should be released. The fact that C.A.H. has never expressed remorse weighs heavily on them.
C.A.H. was also present at the hearing. The Court spoke with him and emphasized that the family’s perspective will be explicitly incorporated into the final evaluation.