President seeks judges with backbone

At least 100  lawyers are vying for three vacancies in Panama’s Supreme Court including a  current judge in the eye of an investigation and others whose controversial rulings have raised citizen concerns.

The Cabinet Council opened the application process to appoint the replacements of the judges Jerónimo Mejía (Criminal Chamber), whose term expired on December 31, 2017; Harry Diaz (Criminal Chamber) and Abel Augusto Zamorano (Civil Chamber whose terms expir in December.

On Monday, September 16 the Special Evaluation Commission held its second meeting to refine the methodology for the interviewing phase of the applicants.

The committee has s already announced the questionnaire that the postulates should answer, which includes questions related to their professional experience, if they have been denounced or investigated for breaches of ethics before the Court of Honor of the National Bar Association or before the Judicial Branch, the Public Ministry or some administrative instance; or have  been investigated for any criminal case and its strategies to maintain independence in the administration of justice, among other questions.

Meanwhile, President Laurentino Cortizo said that while his administration makes efforts to improve the economy and fight crime, but if the country does not have a good administration system of justice, “we will hardly move forward”.

On the appointment of new magistrates for the Supreme Court of Justice, Cortizo Cohen said that it will be up to the Commission to make the evaluation and select a shortlist of 15 , and then select three.

The president said he hopes that the selected magistrates have the knowledge, that there is a commitment to the administration of justice, “and they have the character they … have to know how to say yes and know how to say no”.

” I do not want any magistrate with a jelly-like spine,” said Cortizo.  He referred to the release of people who are detained by security agencies. Cortizo said “the culprits are expected to be punished, respecting the process and the presumption of innocence, but we need to make adjustments in the administration of justice,”