The National Council of Magistrates (CNM), the body that will select judges for a new Supreme Court, met for the first time on 18 September, more than two years after its creation was authorized under the constitutional reforms of August, 1994.
One of main topics of discussion at its first session, said President Leonel Fernandez, was the bill passed in the Senate just two days before, which limits the period of judges selected to four years, and sets a minimum of five council members for a quorum. He told the news media that the selection of judges was not discussed in detail, as the members concentrated on the rules of operation as dictated by the Constitution and the bills in Congress. The next CNM session is scheduled for 25 September.
The Council consists of President Fernandez; the president of the Supreme Court, Nestor Contin Aybar; Supreme Court Judge Amadeo Julian; the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Rafael Peguero Mendez; the president of the Senate, Amable Aristy Castro; Deputy Francisco Feliz y Feliz; and Senator Milagros Ortiz Bosch.