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Venezuelan opposition calls court reform another step toward an independent Supreme Court
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Elections & Politics

Venezuelan opposition calls court reform another step toward an independent Supreme Court

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Approved/passed
  • Venezuela’s opposition dialogue delegation called the reform of the Organic Law of the Supreme Court another step toward an independent court serving the Constitution and citizens.
  • The unanimous reform expands the Judicial Nomination Committee from 21 to 23 members, including 11 lawmakers and 12 civil-society representatives.
  • The measure is intended to restart the process of fully renewing Supreme Court magistrates, which had reached the credentials and challenges stage before a June 24 double earthquake.

Venezuela’s opposition says a reform of the Supreme Court law approved by parliament opens “another step” toward creating a high court that is independent and serves the Constitution and all citizens.

The reform expands the committee responsible for selecting Supreme Court candidates. It is the second amendment to the law this year and forms part of an agreement between the governing Chavismo movement and the opposition to renew the court’s entire membership through a negotiation process promoted by the United States.

Another step toward a Supreme Court that is independent and at the service of the Constitution and all citizens.

— Venezuelan opposition dialogue delegationThe delegation described the parliamentary reform and its intended judicial outcome.

The opposition delegation said the country was entering a phase that would lead to the appointment of all Supreme Court magistrates and require public participation. It called on civil-society representatives to act as Venezuela’s eyes within the committee. It also proposed that legal experts join an independent credentials review council to verify whether nominees meet constitutional requirements.

Civil-society representatives must be Venezuela’s eyes within the committee.

— Venezuelan opposition dialogue delegationThe opposition called for public oversight of the magistrate selection process.

The opposition further appealed to legal professionals willing to help transform the justice system and seek positions on the new court, saying it would continue working with civil society and report each step of the process.

The ruling-party-dominated National Assembly approved the reform unanimously and without objections. The Judicial Nomination Committee will now have 23 members, up from 21, with 11 lawmakers and 12 civil-society representatives. Parliament is expected to restart a magistrate renewal process that began in April and had reached the review and challenge stage before the June 24 double earthquake. A May reform had already increased the Supreme Court’s planned membership from 20 to 32 magistrates. The court is currently headed by Caryslia Rodríguez and has been criticized by opposition groups and nongovernmental organizations as aligned with the government. The reform push follows institutional changes promoted by the government of acting President Delcy Rodríguez after the reported capture of Nicolás Maduro by the United States during a military attack in Caracas in January.

We will continue working with civil society to achieve this and reporting every step of this process.

— Venezuelan opposition dialogue delegationThe delegation outlined its plans for participation in the court renewal process.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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