Tuesday, October 16, 2018, Costa Rica’s Judiciary Branch voted and opposed the fiscal reform as long as it contains expense containment measures that affect the Judiciary Branch.

The Court took five hours to discuss the situation, and concluded they will oppose the fiscal plan as long as some points they consider “affect” their operation are not eliminated, these include dispositions contained in the fiscal regulations that can affect the budget assigned to the Judiciary Branch by the Constitution or specific laws, the restrictions established in the bill with regards to salaries and its respective components for the employees of the Judicial Branch, among others.

Their argument is that the policies of expense containment and to evaluate the performance of the employees affect the independence of the Judiciary branch.

The judges backed the criteria of the Judicial Direction that stated: “As it is established in the norms cited, the Judicial Branch has authority of self-government when it comes to public employment and consequently its politics and guidelines are not subject to those of another Branch of the Republic, which would change radically if the law project being analyzed is finally approved”.

Read more here:

1. Costa Rican Association of Judges Calls in Members to Join Strike
2. Costa Rica Judicial Branch Considers Fiscal Reform a Threat by Limiting Salaries
3. Fiscal Plan in Costa Rica Faces new set Back: Judicial Branch Opposes Reform 
4. Judges on the Supreme Court in Costa Rica are the Fifth Best Paid in the World