Nicaragua suspends thousands of lawyers' licenses, threatening legal certainty

Nicaragua's legal system faces potential destabilization as the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) suspends the licenses of thousands of lawyers and public notaries. The measure, which began to be notified in early July 2026, has been carried out without any apparent disciplinary process, raising concerns about legal certainty across the country.

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They have already notified them, without process and to hand over everything, including protocols. It is not known how many more, because they only started notifying today.

Sources indicate that the notifications were issued without due process, demanding the surrender of all professional documents, including protocols. While initial reports suggested only a few high-profile cases, such as former magistrate Yadira Centeno González and her daughter, the scope of the cancellations remains unclear. Some reports from the newspaper La Prensa suggest over 2,000 lawyers may be affected.

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For now, there are no official notifications. Someone else told me about Yadira and her daughter. They seem to be the only ones notified.

Conflicting explanations are circulating within the judiciary. One version points to a "technical problem" within the computer system managing the registry of lawyers and notaries, suggesting an attempt to rectify a "mess." However, this explanation fails to convince many legal professionals who have observed irregularities for weeks and see no discernible pattern in who is being removed from the system.

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There is another version that supposedly there was a technical computer problem that caused a mess, and they are trying to fix it.

The consequences extend beyond a mere administrative issue. Specialists have been called to the CSJ to review the system, while affected lawyers seek clarifications. Questions loom over the validity of deeds executed by suspended notaries and the continuity of legal cases where these professionals served as defense or accusers. The lack of official pronouncements from the CSJ exacerbates the uncertainty, leaving the legal community and the public in suspense.

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What will happen with the deeds of the lawyers who are no longer lawyers? What will happen with civil, criminal, or any other cases where they acted as defense or accusers?