In a speech last night, the president of the Colombian Constitutional Court Humberto Sierra Porto highlighted the achievements and advances made by Colombian society with the division of the Judicial Branch into a Supreme Court of Justice, a Council of State and a Constitutional Court. The topic is timely because President Leonel Fernandez has sent changes to the judicial power in the constitutional reform bill. <\/p>\n
Jurist Sierra Porto gave a lecture titled “The role of the Constitutional Court in the Legal Code of a Modern Democracy”. President Fernandez and First Lady Margarita Cedeno de Fernandez were present and took part in the question and answer session.<\/p>\n
During the event, held at the Presidential Palace’s Caryatid Hall, dozens of government officials, lawyers, labor leaders and other prominent figures asked questions, as did President Fernandez.<\/p>\n
The Colombian jurist said that the Senate selects the judges who make up the courts for an eight-year period from a shortlist sent by the President of the Republic, the Supreme Court and a Council of State so that there is greater independence.<\/p>\n
He said that in Colombia, the Judicial Branch is composed of a number of entities that have a very specific relationship with each other, which has contributed to the good working of the justice system in the country.<\/p>\n
He showed how a Higher Council of Judges exists in his country, and is responsible for administering the judicial branches, independently of whether it is Contentious, Ordinary or Constitutional. “Absolutely all the administrative aspects are handled by one organization, and when I speak of administrative aspects, I am referring to contracts, transportation, personnel, and the judicial school.” <\/p>\n
He stated that there are three large courts and three large jurisdictions in Colombia: “The jurisdiction whose head is the Supreme Court, the contentious administrative jurisdiction, which is headed by the Council of State, and the Constitutional Court.” <\/p>\n
Sierra Porto said that the judicial branch in Colombia is totally autonomous budget-wise and when it comes to the handling of its public policies. The Executive Branch has no relationship with these components of the Judicial Branch.<\/p>\n
Finally, he pointed out that before his country’s 1991 Constitution, the Supreme Court of Justice and the Council of State were the administrative authorities of the judicial branch.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In a speech last night, the president of the Colombian Constitutional Court Humberto Sierra Porto highlighted the achievements and advances made by Colombian society with the division of the Judicial Branch into a Supreme Court of Justice, a Council of State and a Constitutional Court. The topic is timely because President Leonel Fernandez has sent … <\/p>\n