The new President of the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ), Magistrate María Cristina Chen Stanziola, took office with a clear promise: to guarantee an independent justice system, free from external pressures, at a time when the Judicial Branch is facing strong questioning about its credibility and institutional performance.
During her inauguration speech, Chen Stanziola emphasized that her arrival at the presidency of the highest court is not a personal honor, but an institutional mandate in the service of the rule of law and Panamanian democracy. In this sense, she stressed that every judicial decision must be made with strict adherence to the Constitution and the law, without any interference and with absolute respect for fundamental rights.
The magistrate replaces María Eugenia López Arias, whose administration was widely questioned by various sectors, guilds, and political actors, amidst allegations of a lack of judicial independence. Chen Stanziola stated that the country demands justice that is accessible, efficient, and transparent, and announced that her administration will promote a comprehensive modernization of the judicial system.
This modernization is understood not only as a technological process but also as a cultural change within the Judicial Branch. Among the announced priorities are strengthening digital transformation, simplifying processes, data-based management, and continuous training of judicial personnel, with the goal of reducing the judicial backlog and providing timely and quality responses to citizens.
The new CSJ president also emphasized a justice system centered on the person, with special attention to the access of the most vulnerable groups, equality before the law, and the protection of human rights, which she described as essential pillars of a more just and cohesive society.
Finally, Chen Stanziola affirmed that recovering citizen trust in justice will be a collective task that will require coherence between discourse and action, as well as a firm commitment to institutional integrity. She thanked the support of the full Court and called on magistrates, judges, and judicial staff to work as a team to consolidate a strengthened, respected, and reliable judicial branch. "Panama deserves a dignified, accessible, and trustworthy justice system for all its citizens," she concluded.
