Some members of the nominating committees for the renewal of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) and the Court of Appeals want the Palace of Justice to be the venue for the work. The discussion among the members of both nominating committees has focused on where they will carry out the process.
The initially proposed headquarters for both commissions is the Rafael Landívar University (URL). This university has computer equipment for the commissioners, warehouses with security and 24-hour video surveillance cameras for the safekeeping of the files and the National Civil Police (PNC) was asked for perimeter security, despite this, a group of commissioners do not want the headquarters.
The judges of the Court of Appeals and some commissioners elected by the College of Lawyers and Notaries of Guatemala (Cang) want to move to the Courtroom of the CSJ.
Miquel Cortés, president of the nominating committee for the CSJ and rector of the URL, said that a change of venue implies more delays. He explained that they needed at least two weeks for the logistical installation and security coordination for the operation of the nominating committee.
“We are guaranteed safekeeping, which is a function that is the responsibility of the secretary. He will have the key to that space (where the files will be) and the security, not only of the commissioners, but also of the observers and the media.”
The president of the nominating committee hopes that the first session, which was declared permanent, will resume on Thursday and that consensus will be reached, both to define the location and the position of secretary of the commission, at least of the nominating committee for the CSJ.
The risks
The headquarters of a nomination committee is more than a meeting space for decision-making. It is the physical space for safeguarding the files, which is key to guaranteeing a process of this type, said Marielos Fuentes, executive director of Guatemala Visible.
“We think it is dangerous to want to move it now that we are behind schedule. But above all because in previous cases, it is nothing new that the files have undergone some alteration,” Fuentes said.
Carmen Aída Ibarra, director of the Pro Justice Movement, has a similar view. She stressed that this is the first time that the nominating committee’s headquarters has faced the commissioners, emphasizing the importance of the headquarters for the safekeeping of documents and future files.
“The headquarters must be a safe place that allows for physical security of the files. This is to guarantee the non-viability of the files, ensuring that technological and legal needs can also be met,” he said.
Through Pablo Muñoz, Alianza por las Reformas stated that it is healthier for this process to have a neutral venue. Muñoz said that the URL is a free space where secret negotiations would be left aside, however, this scenario could change if the venue is the CSJ, since there are restricted spaces for the general public, including the press.
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