Santo Domingo.-The president of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ), Luis Henry Molina Peña and representatives of the Power of attorneyparticipated in the Plenary Assembly of the Dominican Episcopate Conference (CED) number 60, in which they presented to the bishops the Program for the Optimization of the Criminal Process and the plan of urgent measures for prisoners in vulnerable conditions.
Likewise, the bishops received information on Justice Up to Date to guarantee the dignity of people and the Bill on the Use of Digital Media in the Judiciary, a piece of legislation approved by the deputies and known by the senators in the first reading with which seeks to transform Dominican Justice.
During the meeting, Molina Peña explained that they are working to update the judicial apparatus, both in terms of technological tools that allow management to be integrated and increase its response capacity, as well as to provide a more timely and efficient justice service.
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“The optimization program seeks to redesign the operational model of the criminal and adolescent criminal jurisdiction through improvements to the support units of the courts, to guarantee compliance with the delivery times of the jurisdictional services in accordance with the regulations and improve gradually the services”, explained Molina Peña.
On his side, the judge of the Second Chamber of the SCJ, magistrate Fran Soto, indicated that for the effective implementation of this plan, allies and the collaboration of all the entities that are part of the criminal justice system are required.
“The Judiciary and the judges need the support of society to find solutions to the problem of those deprived of liberty in vulnerable conditions, in which we all must contribute, including the Dominican Episcopate,” he said.
For the Judiciary, judges Rafael Báez, from the First Chamber of the Criminal Chamber of the Court of Appeal of the National District, also participated in the meeting; Esmirna Gisselle Méndez, president of the First Collegiate Court of the National District; and Kenya Romero, coordinator of the Investigating Courts of said jurisdiction.
Participating on behalf of the CED were its president, Monsignor Freddy Antonio De Jesús Bretón Martínez; the vice president, Monsignor Héctor Rafael Rodríguez Rodríguez; the Secretary General, Monsignor Faustino Burgos Brisman; as well as the other bishops that make up the episcopate.
About the Criminal Process Optimization Program
The Criminal Process Optimization Program is developed together with the Attorney General’s Office (PGR), the National Public Defense Office, the General Directorate of Penitentiary and Correctional Services and health sector institutions, aimed at improving the approach to justice criminal and prison system.
Through this, actions are carried out to streamline processes that benefit those deprived of liberty who are affected by serious illnesses, sentences served, sentences served with a fine and preventive measures with bail in situations of extreme vulnerability.
It is recalled that the Judiciary and representatives of the Criminal Justice System formed the National Inter-institutional Coordination Table, which will meet every 15 days in order to evaluate the progress and solutions put in place to solve the problem.
