Santo Domingo.– President Luis Abinader will lead a session of the National Council of the Magistracy (CNM) this Thursday, which will be held virtually and will focus on continuing the selection process for the judges who will fill the existing vacancies in the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ).
The meeting is scheduled for 5:00 PM and is part of the work sessions being carried out by the CNM to evaluate, screen, and shortlist the candidates aspiring to join the highest court of the Judiciary.
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At the end of the session, it is planned to inform the media about the results of the deliberations and the decisions adopted by the members of the National Council of the Magistracy.
The process takes place after the CNM concluded last week the performance evaluation of the judges who are currently part of the Supreme Court of Justice, a procedure contemplated within the powers of that body.
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Following the corresponding deliberations, the Council decided to confirm for a period of seven years the magistrates Justiniano Montero Montero, Fran Euclides Soto Sánchez, Anselmo Alejandro Bello Ferreras, Samuel Amaury Arias Arzeno and Rafael Vásquez Goico.
Abinader leads
The confirmation of these five judges is part of the institutional process through which the Council evaluates the tenure of the members of the Supreme Court, taking into consideration their performance and the criteria established in the rules that regulate the functioning of the body.
With the decision adopted by the CNM, two additional vacancies were created in the Supreme Court of Justice, which are in addition to the positions that were already available.
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In this way, the total number of vacancies that must be filled in the country’s highest court amounts to six, so the Council must continue with the evaluation and selection process for the applicants.
The selection of these new judges represents one of the main tasks of the CNM at this stage, due to the role that the Supreme Court of Justice plays within the Dominican judicial system.
The National Council of the Magistracy has among its constitutional functions the selection of judges for the Supreme Court of Justice, in addition to evaluating the performance of those who hold those positions when appropriate.
The procedure is supported by the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic, specifically in its article 179, as well as in Law number 138-11, which regulates the functioning of the National Council of the Magistracy.
Regulation number 2-25 is also taken into account, which establishes the criteria and procedures related to the performance evaluation of the judges of the Supreme Court of Justice.
This Thursday’s session will allow the body to advance to a new phase of the process, while expectations remain regarding the candidates who will be considered to fill the six available positions.
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The Supreme Court of Justice is the highest court of the Dominican Judiciary and has the jurisdiction to hear certain proceedings established by the Constitution and the laws, in addition to exercising cassation functions under the terms provided by the legal system.
The partial renewal of its membership occurs in a context where the authorities seek to fill vacant positions and ensure the integration of the court in accordance with constitutional provisions.
President Luis Abinader, in his capacity as head of state and president of the National Council of the Magistracy, will lead the virtual meeting, in which the other members of the body will also participate.
The development of this session will be closely followed by different sectors linked to the legal field and by civil society organizations, due to the importance of the decisions that the Council will have to adopt during this process.
Once the deliberations have concluded, the authorities will provide information on the progress made and the next steps the CNM will take to complete the selection of the new members of the Supreme Court of Justice.
With the six identified vacancies, the Council must continue to exhaust the various stages provided until the selection of the magistrates who will assume the available positions in the country’s highest court is completed.
