CSJ still has not reached agreements for the election of its new president

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October 10, 2025October 10, 2025By Mario Vásquez
CSJ still has not reached agreements for the election of its new president

The judges of the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) still have not reached agreements to define the next presidency of the Judiciary. after two consecutive days of suspended calls.

The first call was last Thursday, October 9, but it was dissolved because one of the regular magistrates did not attend the plenary session. This Friday, October 10, it was called again, without a defined time.

The Department of Social Communication of the Judicial Branch (OJ) reported that one of the magistrates presented a medical excuse; However, this time a plenary session was held, behind closed doors.

After several hours of meeting, a recess was declared and the session will resume at 6 p.m.

In the event that on October 12, at 11:59 p.m., the president has not yet been elected, the plenary session of the CSJ must sign an agreement for Teódulo Cifuentes to hand over the position. On an interim basis, member 1, Carlos Lucero Paz, would assume it.

Carlos Lucero Paz occupies the first position for having been elected with the largest number of votes in Congress: 159.

They present a pretrial

While the second call for the election of the president of the CSJ was taking place, it was learned that a lawyer presented requests for a pretrial against two magistrates, due to allegations of alleged abuse of authority.

Maynor Giovanny Caté Chirix denounced Teódulo Cifuentes, current president of the CSJ, and Flor de María García, magistrate before the Judicial Career Council.

According to the complainant, both had committed abuse of authority by supporting the direct appointment of magistrates in four new appeals chambers, a process that was even known to the Constitutional Court.

Caté Chirix argues that those indicated “exceeded the scope of their functions and adapted their conduct to the criminal type of abuse of authority,” by transferring regular and alternate magistrates to new judiciaries without allowing Congress to make the appointments in accordance with what the Constitution orders.

The lawyer presented the pre-trial before the Public Ministry, with the expectation that that institution will forward it to the Judicial Branch. This, in turn, should process it and send it to Congress for information.

In 2022, Caté Chirix was part of the legal team that advised Attorney General Consuelo Porras, so that through an amparo she managed to be included in the list of candidates for head of the Public Ministry, a process that concluded with her re-election.

CC processes new protection

The direct appointments of magistrates in the new appeals chambers were questioned before the Constitutional Court (CC), which did not grant provisional protection to a group of lawyers led by Edgar Ortiz, an expert in constitutional law.

The lawyers alleged a possible invasion of the functions of the Judiciary, by not informing Congress about the new vacancies and omitting their participation in the appointments.

Following the CC’s decision, deputy José Chic, from the Will, Opportunity and Solidarity (VOS) bloc, joined the legal actions and presented a new protection.

Chic reported that this was admitted and reports were requested from the CSJ and Congress to evaluate, in a new constitutional action, the alleged legal defects in the appointments.

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