Panama. President José Raúl Mulino signed Law 512 this Friday, which exclusively amends Article 413 of the Criminal Procedure Code, allowing experts to present their reports virtually in cases related to crimes foreseen in Titles I and III. The amendment establishes that the possibility of presenting expert reports virtually will only be permitted for reasons of force majeure or unforeseen circumstances that prevent experts from participating in person in the trial, and only when authorized by the court. On January 21 of this year, this amendment to the Criminal Code was approved by the National Assembly after being discussed in a third debate and was sent to the Executive Branch for its sanction. The approved text is now literally in the law: "Article 413. Expert Report. Experts will present their conclusions orally in the trial, except in the cases provided for in numeral 2 of article 379. To this end, they may consult their written reports or use all useful auxiliary elements to explain the expert procedures carried out. The expert reports related to the crimes foreseen in Title I, Crimes against Life and Personal Integrity, and in Title III, Crimes against Freedom and Sexual Integrity, of Book Two of the Criminal Code, may be presented virtually by experts who, for reasons of force majeure or unforeseen circumstances, cannot participate in person in the trial, as long as the court authorizes it."
