Congress elected Carlos Camargo Assis on Wednesday, as the new magistrate of the Constitutional Court, who will replace José Fernando Reyes Cuartas, whose period of eight years at the head of the High Court culminates this month.
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Camargo surpassed in the vote María Patricia Balanta Medina and Jaime Humberto Tobar Ordóñez.
Prior to the vote, some business leaders asked Congress that the decision was taken under total independence, since they assured that the institutional balance depends on this procedure.
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“The Senate will face one of the most important decisions of this moment, choose the new magistrate of the Constitutional Court. This election is not a procedure: it is up to preserve the institutional balance and the validity of our democracy. The country expects its senators for an independent, responsible and thinking of the country before in particular interests. Colombia deserves a strong constitutional court, autonomous and committed to the Constitution”the president of the Colombian American Chamber, Amcham Colombia, María Claudia Lacouture, said earlier.
For its part, Gustavo Morales, president of Fasecolda, said Colombia needs a good Constitutional Court.
“A court composed of judges that know about the Constitution, who know the science and art of administering justice, who know how to manage large offices with complex workloads”.
He added that “The magistrate or magistrate that will be chosen will coincide with the Petro period for a few months, and then coincide with the totality of the following president and with a good part of the subsequent one. Therefore, the discussion about vicinity or not with the current government is irrelevant”.
“99% of the issues resolved by the Court have nothing to do with the government on duty. They have to do with old laws, cases of pensioners, cases of children in schools, family issues. The Constitution lives there. Another reason to take out the issue of Petro/No Petro,” Morales said.
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The union leader also stressed that the strength of the court in time is the priority now.
The call of businessmen for the Senate to maintain independence in the vote was due to complaints according to which there were undue pressures from the government for the election of the new court magistrate.
Who is the new magistrate?
Carlos Camargo Assis, A native of Cereté (Córdoba), he is a lawyer with a master’s degree and a doctorate in Law from the Sergio Arboleda University, where he was also a professor. He has been the Ombudsman and magistrate of the National Electoral Council (CNE).
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