The Dominican Republic’s Senate officially passed a bill on Wednesday, 23 July 2025 that seeks to establish a new Ministry of Justice, a move anticipated to significantly alleviate the workload of the Attorney General’s Office. The legislation, which will now head to the Executive Branch for promulgation by President Luis Abinader, aims to streamline the nation’s judicial system, its advocates say.
President Abinader has been a proponent of this initiative since 2022, underscoring the government’s commitment to judicial reform.
Diario Libre reports that the bill, authored by Senators Cristóbal Venerado Castillo (Hato Mayor – PRM) and Félix Bautista (San Juan de la Maguana – Fuerza del Pueblo), had previously cleared the Senate but returned for a final vote to incorporate modifications made by the Chamber of Deputies. After the required two debates in the lower house, the proposed law received overwhelming support in the Senate before its final approval.
Once enacted, the Ministry of Justice will serve as the central body for planning, directing, coordinating, and executing the Justice System. This comprehensive system will encompass eight institutions directly involved in judicial matters.
A key function of the new ministry will be to administer the nation’s prisons and oversee 12 other related dependencies, responsibilities currently handled by the Attorney General’s Office. The minister of justice will also act as the state’s representative in arbitration forums, coordinate the National Human Rights System, manage the penitentiary services system, and oversee registration affairs.
The ministry will be structured with several vice-ministries, including those for Citizen Attention and Collaboration, Judicial Representation, Human Rights, Penitentiary Policies, and Registral Affairs.
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Diario Libre
DR1 News
24 July 2025