Costa Rica's judicial model: overview of a sufficiently analyzed problem

Abstract

First of all, I should thank the National Association for Economic Development and in particular its President Dr. Jorge Guardia Quirós and the Seminar on Public Law of the Autonomous University of Central America for having invited me to participate in this interesting symposium that aims to study the Costa Rican judicial model.

I have subtitled my speech as a sufficiently analysed problem because it is already many studies that have been carried out over several years on our judiciary and the Administration of Justice, concluded that we are faced with a crisis that cannot be solved by the simple creation of new Courts of Justice, because it is produced by circumstances of greater complexity , which warrants an almost integral reform of the Judiciary, necessary in its dome and a new organization that streamlines not only judicial but also administrative and other proceedings that influence the judicial work.

The reform introduced by the Constitution of 1949 to the Judiciary, while important, only served to adapt the power that now concerns the needs of a small, peaceful country, accustomed to resolving its disputes in a friendly manner and which resorted to the Courts of Justice in matters of great importance, in cases "of mayoralty", as our peasant says when he tries to refer to serious facts. Today the situation has changed, the judiciary has been complicated, not only by the creation of new Courts of Justice, but by being given new powers in the investigation of crimes, experts, public advocacy, prosecution in criminal matters, registration of criminals and new matters that have led to the creation of specialized courts such as family and agricultural courts.