The president of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ), Henry Molina, reported that the Dominican justice system is immersed in a profound transformation process that seeks to protect the rule of law and “guarantee up-to-date justice that respects and promotes the dignity of people.”
When giving the lecture “Justice today and dignity of people: a shared commitment”, organized by the Faculty of Legal and Political Sciences of the Pedro Henríquez Ureña National University (UNPHU), in the context of the “Dr. Manuel Bergés Chupani” Chair, he stressed that the independence of judges means that they must act under the rules of law and not under external pressure.
The magistrate stated that, in the legal system of the Dominican Republic, judges are obliged to follow a hierarchical order of norms, where the Constitution and the laws have absolute priority over other provisions of lower rank, which guarantees that their decisions are based solely on what the Law dictates.
“An efficient justice system is essential for institutional development and to ensure that people’s rights are protected. It is a key pillar for attracting investments, improving the competitiveness of our country and promoting human development in all its dimensions, that is, for the functioning of the Republic,” said Henry Molina.
He also said that justice must be efficient and transparent to maintain its legitimacy, which is why the Judiciary is striving to create a justice system that is close, efficient and in dialogue with citizens. Among the judges who attended the event was the judge of the Second Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice, Francisco Ortega Polanco, dean of the Faculty of Legal and Political Sciences of the university.
Rule of Law Index increases
Henry Molina said that, on the path to achieving up-to-date justice, maintaining judicial independence and trust in justice have faced challenges, but significant progress has also been made. “A clear example is the increase in trust in our system, reflected in our rise in the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index.”
