Lawyer Basilio González believes that depending on the work performed by the recently elected authorities, it can be determined if this is a new administration of justice that will leave behind the scandals and complaints that have 'surrounded' it for the last 4 years. The lawyer states that the new president of the justice corporation, María Cristina Chen Stanziola, is a person with a good professional resume, vast experience for the position, and 'is not a politician,' an important aspect, considering that discussions about these positions always focus on the group that made the appointment. 'Magistrate Arrocha also comes from private practice, so both will have the opportunity to form a team that presents a contrasting vision to the institutional vision of magistrate María Eugenia López,' he emphasized. 'We must get out of our heads that this person was appointed by a certain group; once a Supreme Court magistrate takes office, they must be ready to administer justice for the country, not for a political party,' he said. He mentioned that these changes must be made as soon as possible, not in three or four months, as the citizenry demands; furthermore, for there to be democracy and legal security in a country, there must be justice; otherwise, there will be no investment or economic growth. According to Araúz, the new board must demonstrate creativity to address pending issues and, obviously, mark its own agenda with plans, taking into account that the Court functions as a collegiate body; therefore, they will need a majority vote. The election of a new board of directors at the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) generates, according to jurist Basilio González, a certain positivism among Panamanians due to the changes that could occur in the administration of the judicial power as a result of this decision. An opinion shared by the former president of the National College of Lawyers (CNA), Juan Carlos Araúz, by pointing out that Chen Stanziola's profile is different from that of former president María Eugenia López for being someone who comes from private practice and teaching, which gives her a different conception of justice. 'We must make seismic movements because when you have 4 years, two consecutive administrations, and there are many complaints, it means that something is wrong, so these changes must be deepened,' he affirmed. He added that this experience places greater pressure on her regarding the changes she considers necessary to avoid criticism of the institution from the private practice perspective; in this sense, he believes that one of her challenges will be to present a 'break,' together with magistrate Olmedo Arrocha, vice president of the CSJ, from the previous work model. He reiterated that Chen Stanziola's body language shows she is a person who wants to do her job, and that is precisely what all Panamanians expect, especially those dedicated to the legal sphere. He pointed out that the first thing that the elected president and vice president of the supreme court must address is to 'once and for all' appoint judges and magistrates permanently to their positions to avoid misinterpretations and phone calls that could compromise the security and trust that must prevail in the system.
New Panama Supreme Court Administration: Hopes for Change
Panamanian lawyers express optimism about the election of new Supreme Court leadership. They hope that the new court president, María Cristina Chen Stanziola, and her team from private practice can bring long-awaited changes, strengthen justice, and promote the country's economic growth by ending the criticism that has surrounded the court in recent years.
