New court system lacks funding

THE ACCUSATORY penal system will introduced in September 2016 in the First Judicial District, which includes Panama, West Panama, Colón, the Darién and the Comarca Guna Yala, but justice officials say there is not enough money to implement it..

The Ministry of Economy and Finance has cut the judiciary’s budget.
The courts had asked for $28.4 million, while the ministry allocated $23.5 million. Supreme Court Justice Harry Diaz said the amount is insufficient to run the system.
“To apply this system throughout the First Judicial District will require more than $100 million,” said the judge. “It will be impossible to fully implement this system in 2016.”
He said the plan will most likely be to implement the program in a limited area, most likely West Panama, and expand it as funds become available.
He clarified, however, that the final decision must be made by the plenary of the Supreme Court with the approval of the National Assembly.
According to the magistrate, 900 new positions will be created within the judiciary if the new system is implemented reports La Prensa.
“Without those funds, the staff can’t be hired and trained,” Díaz said.
This system was implemented in the Second Judicial District (Coclé and Veraguas) in 2011 and the Fourth Judicial District (Herrera and Los Santos) in 2012. It will go into effect in the Third Judicial District (Chiriqui and Bocas del Toro) next month.
Independent Deputy Ana Matilde Gómez, a former attorney general, recently submitted a draft law calling for the system to be expanded to the First Judicial District.
But Minister Dulcidio De La Guardia said there are no available funds this year.