The director of the National Office of Public Defense (ONDP) welcomes the suggestion made by the president of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) that the National Council of Public Defense is not headed by the president of the high court, as it is today.
Rodolfo Valentin, when assessing the speech of magistrate Luis Henry Molina on the occasion of the Judicial Power Day, he argued that the National Council of Public Defense should be chaired by the director of the institution, “as they do in all other public entities.”
“All institutions have as president of the council the highest authority of said institution,” he argued.
He added that after this possible change, the Judiciary could retain a member as part of the National Council of the Public Defense.
“In the criminal sphere, the Public Defense handles 87% of the cases of adults and 100% of the cases of children and adolescents. This means that the Public Defense is extraordinarily and directly closely linked to the Judiciary ”, he explained.
Contribution of virtuality
The director considered that virtuality is “an important contribution” to justice, since, according to he estimated, about 70% of the cases could be resolved under this modality, and it would improve access to justice.
