Three lawyers agree on one clear demand: less talk, more results, and a justice system that stops walking hand in hand with politics.
With more than 180,000 investigations for common crimes accumulated, repeated nullifications in high-profile cases, and a public perception of impunity that shows no sign of abating, the Public Prosecutor's Office starts 2026 under scrutiny.
The former president of the National College of Lawyers, Juan Carlos Arauz, put his finger on the sore spot by warning that the main deficit of the Public Prosecutor's Office is not in major corruption cases, but in the historical neglect of common crimes. Arauz recalled that while corruption cases do not exceed 3,000 files, common crimes directly impact more than 180,000 citizens, many of whom have been waiting for years for answers. In his view, prioritizing agile and professional investigations in these cases would immediately change the public's perception of justice. "The reasoning is simple: if the system works well for common crimes, it must work the same for specialized ones," Arauz stated. He warned that as long as there are complaints about delays and cases gathering dust, institutional non-compliance will continue to be the norm, regardless of who is in charge of the Public Prosecutor's Office.
Justice and politics: a relationship that must end
From another trench, lawyer Víctor Chan Castillo was categorical: in a real democracy, justice must be as far removed from politics as possible. For him, this is not a romantic ideal, but the very foundation of the rule of law. Chan Castillo emphasized that the function of the Public Prosecutor's Office is to investigate with objectivity and scientific rigor, always respecting the presumption of innocence, "from the humblest Panamanian to the most powerful." He acknowledged that the institution has human resources, but insisted on the need to strengthen teams with specialized technical assistants, such as forensic auditors and experts in various disciplines, capable of supporting solid investigations.
The lost mystique and the training deficit
The jurist also cast a critical eye on the past and present.
Lawyer Marco Austin centered his analysis on one of the most sensitive points: the constant nullifications in criminal proceedings. For Austin, the priority for the Public Prosecutor's Office in 2026 must be to prevent cases from reaching guarantee judges with poor processing or defects that end up burying them. In his opinion, the problem is not the lack of laws, but deficient investigations that do not get to the heart of the matter, causing judges to declare nullifications and for impunity to reassert itself. "The credibility of institutions is being hit harder every day," he warned.
A change of approach: less political persecution, more real justice
Austin insisted on the need for a profound change of approach: to move away from persecuting past governments and focus on combating real crime, guaranteeing due process and the presumption of innocence. For the three lawyers, the message is unequivocal: the Public Prosecutor's Office arrives in 2026 with an accumulated debt to itself and to citizenship. This year requires a justice without selectivity, without nullifications due to incompetence, and without political interference.
