# Dominican Republic transparency and judicial reform > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/dominican-republic-transparency-and-judicial-reform > Updated: 2026-10-20T01:58:31.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 2. Discussions regarding transparency and freedom of expression have intensified in the Dominican Republic. During the I National Adocco Seminar, participants raised concerns that the proposed New Penal Code could criminalize speech and lead to self-censorship among journalists. Experts suggested that fines or rectifications might be more suitable than imprisonment for protecting honor to avoid intimidating those performing oversight roles. Concurrently, institutional transparency efforts have shown measurable progress. The General Directorate of Ethics and Government Integrity reported that compliance with transparency standards has increased from approximately 40% to 93%. In the legal sector, the Dominican Republic Judiciary achieved the highest level of institutional openness among 21 evaluated entities according to the Open Justice Metric (MJA-RD). This metric, developed with support from the World Justice Project and the UNDP, evaluates the justice ecosystem across dimensions of transparency, accountability, participation, and collaboration. ## Timeline ### 2026-10-20: Dominican Republic Judiciary leads in Open Justice Metric The Dominican Republic's Judiciary scored 0.88/1 in the new Open Justice Metric, leading 21 institutions in transparency, accountability, and citizen participation. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/dominican-republic-judiciary-leads-in-open-justice-metric ### 2026-10-14: Dominican Republic debates transparency and freedom of expression Dominican Republic officials and civil society groups are addressing transparency and freedom of expression, highlighting rising institutional compliance alongside concerns over new penal code restrictions. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/dominican-republic-debates-transparency-and-freedom-of-expression --- Cite as: Dominican Republic transparency and judicial reform. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/dominican-republic-transparency-and-judicial-reform