Panama's Government Minister on Community Justice Reform

Minister of Government Dinoska Montalvo highlighted in the Commission on Government, Justice and Constitutional Affairs of the National Assembly the importance of community justice and how it can help resolve neighborhood disputes so they do not escalate to scenarios that lead those involved to prison. She explained that many people enter the penitentiary system because a Casa de Paz (House of Peace) did not respond to the controversies, and the conflict escalated to the Public Ministry. "The way scores are to be considered has been established, and it is quite similar to the one used by the Judicial Branch," she added. Montalvo pointed out that she has been involved in community justice, which some, according to her, see as the "ugly duckling" because it helps resolve many violence problems that occur in communities. One of the issues is that in some municipalities, until December 31 of last year, the position of messenger was held by the justice of peace who had participated in a competition. She mentioned that it is necessary to find mechanisms to sever the link with the municipalities so that these officials could be hired by the Ministry of Government. She found that in each corregimiento (district), the Community Houses operated with a different book, so she had to put them in order. Among the requirements to apply for a justice of peace position is to be a lawyer, not be registered with any political party, and not have been convicted of a willful crime. She also noted that she found Casa de Paz that had not paid their respective rents, in some cases for 36 months, and there is a millionaire debt with Naturgy. One of the problems to be solved does not depend on the Ministry of Government, but on the municipalities that in some cases have not clarified how the judges and officials from the Casa de Paz would be disassociated. She believes that a way to depoliticize community justice is to remove it from the municipalities and community boards. Montalvo announced that this competition is being carried out jointly with the Administrative Procurator's Office and the Judicial Branch to, as she said, "be able to see all the procedures and processes that community judges handle." According to the minister, for a long time, people who were not lawyers were in charge of these matters, and in the community courts, more harm was done than good. Montalvo said she toured the country to get to know the issue firsthand, met with the 487 judges, and found particular situations. In this sense, she reiterated that the acquired rights of the officials must be respected. "We are putting order, we are trying to implement something that works and serves that citizenship that expects a response," she said. This presented some issues with the Comptroller General's Office and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, as she recalled that she cannot appoint someone who has not finished resolving their labor relationship with their nominating entity. "Today they are inside (in the prisons) for issues that could have been avoided if they had met someone who, moderately, knew about the law," she reflected. To solve this inconvenience, it was decided to appoint the justices of peace on an interim basis until the date of the competitions in April. The Minister of Government Dinoska Montalvo emphasized in the Commission on Government, Justice and Constitutional Affairs of the National Assembly the importance of Community Justice and how it can help resolve neighborhood conflicts so that they do not escalate to scenarios that lead those involved to prison centers. She also pointed out that at the end of December she had to go to the Municipality of Arraiján where, according to Montalvo, an "extremely serious" situation was recorded because they were touching the files in which there were "reserved" issues and some were "moved from where they had to be and even taken away from the judges, who were the custodians." She said that child support will be handled in the Family Courts or the Court of Childhood and Adolescence, so she is working with Magistrate Judith Cossú.