On occasion of the Day of the Judicial Branch celebrated on 7 January 2025 in the Dominican Republic, Supreme Court of Justice president Luis Henry Molina reviewed the achievements and challenges ahead in the judiciary. Vice President Raquel Peña was in attendance.
The president of the Supreme Court highlighted that of the 9,292 cases entered in 2024, 48% have already been resolved. He said this brings the total number of cases settled from June 2019 to November 2024 to 47,986. “In 2025, we will focus on addressing the backlog in the most critical courts, prioritizing the criminal and real estate jurisdictions, particularly in high-population areas,” he said.
Molina also pointed out significant improvements in caseload management. The percentage of appellate court cases processed daily has increased from 37% to 72%, first-instance courts from 24% to 64%, and peace courts from 53% to 91%.
Furthermore, Molina announced that as of now, 100% of the judiciary operates with digital signatures. Additionally, 6,152 users now have access to the Digital Access Portal to manage cases and complete procedures. This initiative has already been implemented in the First and Third Chambers of the Supreme Court, the Administrative Superior Court, and all civil courts, with plans for nationwide expansion across all judicial areas.
Looking ahead, the magistrate revealed that the Dominican Republic will host the 22nd Ibero-American Judicial Summit from 14 to 16 May 2025, a key platform for advancing policies and best practices to strengthen judicial independence and impartiality, while reinforcing democracy and the rule of law in the region.
He also announced that in 2025, the judiciary will launch a National Judicial Infrastructure Plan and conduct a series of external audits on the selection and promotion processes for judges. These measures aim to further enhance the integrity and independence of the judicial system.
He said efforts to modernize and enhance the ethics of the judiciary are already yielding results. According to indicators such as the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index, the country has risen eight positions over the past five years. Additionally, the Latinobarómetro survey showed a four-point increase in public trust in the judicial system since 2020.
In 2024, the Supreme Court of Justice was criticized for implementing new data protection measures to not fully name the persons when placing sentences online. The announcement has met with major criticism from media sources that said it would benefit those involved in mega corruption cases.
Likewise, Diario Libre in an editorial expresses criticism for the poor performance of the judiciary regarding mega corruption cases that began to be heard with the change of government in 2020. “The ongoing delays and constant adjournments are a slap in the face to a population that has spent decades demanding accountability for those who break the law,” writes the editorialist.
The Diario Libre editorial states: “The fact that 60% of Dominican prisoners are in preventive detention also speaks volumes about the judiciary, which is overwhelmed by thousands of backlogged cases. Judges seem to rely too easily on pretrial detention as a way to administer justice that ultimately fails to materialize—for anyone.”
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The speech of Luis Henry Molina – Noticias SIN
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DR1 News
8 January 2025