House Approves Judicial Reform Eliminating Municipal Judges
The measure, which restructures the judicial branch and centralizes administrative powers with the Supreme Court full bench, passed 32-15 and returns to the Senate for technical amendments.
File photoThe short version
- NotiCel reported the House of Representatives approved Senate Project 1096 on Thursday with 32 votes in favor and 15 against
- The bill would repeal the 2003 Judiciary Act and create a structure with an 11-member Supreme Court, a 39-judge Appeals Court and a 338-judge Court of First Instance
- NotiCel reports the proposal establishes co-administration where the Supreme Court full bench approves administrative regulations jointly with the chief justice
- El Nuevo Día reported the bill faced opposition over constitutional concerns about separation of powers between the chief justice and the full Supreme Court
Approval After Earlier Delay
The House of Representatives approved Senate Project 1096 on Thursday, October 22. NotiCel reported the measure received 32 votes in favor and 15 against. Proyecto Dignidad spokeswoman Lisie Burgos Muñiz joined the majority. The bill now returns to the Senate to consider technical amendments introduced by the House.
According to NotiCel, the legislation would repeal the 2003 Judiciary Act. It would establish a judicial structure composed of the 11 members of the Supreme Court, a Court of Appeals with 39 judges and a Court of First Instance with 338 superior judges. One main change is a co-administration model in which the full Supreme Court would have authority to approve administrative regulations of the judicial branch jointly with the chief justice.
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Objections and Defense
NotiCel reported that the Office of Court Administration raised objections. Its administrator, Sigfrido Steidel, warned in a public hearing that the model would substantially reduce the authority of the chief justice and turn the position into a passive executor of full-bench decisions. House Judiciary Committee chairman José “Che” Pérez Cordero defended the bill, stating its intent is to distribute administrative powers among Supreme Court members and that it does not eliminate the chief justice’s faculties.
House Speaker Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Núñez argued the Legislature has constitutional authority to review judicial operations and that the Constitution provides for rules to be approved by the full court. However, PDP spokesman Héctor Ferrer Santiago warned the legislation “trastoca constitucionalmente el Tribunal Supremo de Puerto Rico”. PIP representative Adriana Gutiérrez Colón also raised constitutional objections and warned of possible obstacles to access to justice. El Nuevo Día reported earlier that the bill faced opposition from judicial structures and constitutional experts over separation of powers.
Where the sources differ
Both NotiCel and El Nuevo Día agree on the content of Senate Project 1096, including elimination of the municipal judge category, changes to administrative powers and constitutional objections from minority parties and the Office of Court Administration. NotiCel, published one day after El Nuevo Día, reports the House approved the bill on Thursday by a 32-15 vote with technical amendments. El Nuevo Día, published the previous day, reported the vote had been postponed from Monday due to legislator travel and the need for further explanation of the municipal judge changes. NotiCel states the judicial structure will use 338 superior judges while El Nuevo Día describes municipal judges becoming superior judges without losing rights or shortening terms.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state when the Senate will consider the technical amendments or whether the governor intends to sign the measure. They do not specify the exact effective date beyond the previously mentioned extension from 90 to 120 days, nor detail how many current municipal judges would be affected or the precise impact on court operations and access to justice.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Official Cámara aprueba reforma judicial que eliminaría los jueces municipales
- Reporting Dudas sobre eliminación de jueces municipales posponen votación de la reforma judicial en la Cámara de Representantes
How we checked this
NotiCel provided the account of Thursday’s approval vote, the exact numbers of judges in the new structure and statements from Pérez Cordero, Méndez Núñez, Steidel, Ferrer Santiago and Gutiérrez Colón. El Nuevo Día supplied earlier context on the postponement, the chief justice’s role since 2016, prior Senate approval and comments from Torres Zamora and Pérez Cordero on the municipal judge transition. The governor’s position rests on a single source that reported it remains unknown.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.