judicial

Supreme Court expansion resurfaces in debates

President Torrijos and Harley Mitchell are tight-lipped about plans for expanding the Court.

LA PRENSA

fifth chamber: The expansion initiative calls for developing a "specialized court for the guardianship and amendment of the Código Judicial's rules concerning institutions that safeguard human rights."1033756

The creation of a Sala Quinta, or "Fifth Chamber," in the Supreme Court has become the subject of proposals and initiatives for the third time in nine years, only this time it would comprise part of the Órgano Judicial.

Sources at the Palacio Gil Ponce, the building housing the Supreme Court, confirmed that the Órgano Judicial is backing a proposal to establish a Sala de Garantías Fundamentales y de Derechos Humanos, aimed at "strengthening the protection of fundamental human rights." It would also expand the number of Supreme Court justices from nine to 12.

The proposal was drafted by the judges of the Comisión de Reforma de la Justicia Constitucional, one of the 16 working committees established after Harley Mitchell's inauguration as Presidencia de la Corte in January of this year.

Supreme Court justices announced the details of the proposal in a meeting last Tuesday, indicated a source from the Presidencia de la Corte.

Torrijos himself had pushed the creation of a Sala Quinta back in December 2006, but the initiative did not meet with a consensus at that time.

Upon leaving a lunch date with justices last Wednesday, however, President Torrijos and Harley Mitchell denied having addressed the issue of adding a chamber to the Court, which currently operates with four: Civil, Penal, Contencioso Administrativo ("Administrative Litigation") and Negocios Generales.

Instead, Torrijos explained, through an official newsletter, that meeting was called to address recent measures concerning food prices and the progress of the Canal expansion project.

The Secretaría de Prensa, however, acknowledged the existence of a working committee for constitutional affairs in the Órgano Judicial, which has "discussed ideas and events to allow greater judicial performance in the future."

When asked whether a Sala de Garantías Fundamentales and Derechos Humanos was in the works, the secretary replied that "nothing is concrete."

The initiative also calls for developing a "specialized court for the guardianship and amendment of the Código Judicial's rules concerning institutions that safeguard human rights."

This new addition, according to official documents, would be designated as the Sala Cuarta, or "Fourth Chamber," and will have national jurisdiction. The Sala de Negocios Generales, which now currently occupies the Sala Cuarta, will be renamed the Sala Quinta, a reorganization that was part of Torrijos's original proposal in 2006.