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Costa Rica constitutional court magistrate appointment dead‑

Updated 3 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-07-31 22:07 UTC → 2026-08-01 01:24 UTC · added removed

In late July 2026 the Constitutional Court (Sala IV) reinforced its earlier amparo ruling, finding that the Legislative Assembly’s failure to appoint substitute magistrates jeopardised access to constitutional justice. The court annulled legislative attempts to return the candidate list to the Supreme Court and ordered Assembly President Yara Jiménez Fallas to publicly transmit the Supreme Court‑proposed list of candidates to the plenary. To avoid a functional paralysis of the tribunal, the court provisionally extended the mandates of the existing substitute magistrates for urgent and indispensable cases, noting that nine substitute seats remain vacant after the ruling Partido Pueblo Soberano blocked the Supreme Court’s list of 18 nominees. On 31 July 2026 the Court issued a writ of amparo and formally extended the appointments of all substitute magistrates whose terms expired on 16 December 2025, limiting the extension to urgent cases until the Assembly appoints the nine permanent substitutes from the list sent on 15 October 2025. President Laura Fernández denounced the decision as a “coup” and announced a prevarication lawsuit against four magistrates, while opposition magistrates—Fernando Cruz Castro, Paul Rueda Leal, Ingrid Hess Herrera and Jorge Araya García. Opposition leaders and legal scholars defended the Court’s action as a lawful temporary measure. The ruling also nullified Court reiterated its independence, stating the Assembly’s agreements decision was within its constitutional mandate to return the candidate list protect fundamental rights and ordered ensure the functioning of the judicial system. The State was ordered to cover costs, damages and losses arising from the dispute.

Versions

  1. 2026-08-01 01:24 UTC Costa Rica constitutional court magistrate appointment dead‑
  2. 2026-07-31 22:07 UTC Costa Rica constitutional court magistrate appointment dead‑
  3. 2026-07-31 14:03 UTC Costa Rica constitutional court magistrate appointment dead‑
  4. 2026-07-31 01:20 UTC Costa Rica constitutional court magistrate appointment dead‑

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