Honduras’ election process for the 2023-2030 Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) took place between August 2022 and February 2023. A number of national and international actors, including Lawyers without borders Canada, advocated that the selection of magistrates should be based on international standards of transparency and judicial independence.
The Centre for the Study of Democracy (CESPAD), Lawyers Without Borders Canada (ASFC) and the Due Process of Law Foundation (DPLF) formed an alliance to closely observe the selection process of the new CSJ. As a consortium, they monitored each stage carried out by the Nominating Board and the National Congress.
On 10 November 2022, the consortium published its first report entitled “Election Process of CSJ Magistrates: Swearing-in, Organisation, Functioning and Convening Stages”. This report presented the evaluations and analysis of the initial stages of the selection process.
Subsequently, the consortium released the “Final report of the oversight of the election and selection process of judges of the Supreme Court of Justice of Honduras: lessons learned and recommendations for future election processes of high-level public officials”. This covered the results of the citizen oversight in the stages of toxicological tests, psychometric tests, legal knowledge, investigation, challenges and complaints, and public interviews. These stages led to the creation of a list of 45 candidates that was sent to the National Congress, where the 15 magistrates that make up the new Supreme Court of Honduras were elected.
The final report highlights the positive aspects of the process, but also points out irregularities and malpractices that were identified during the selection process. It presents important conclusions and recommendations that should be considered in future selection processes for high-level judges and other senior state officials.
Links (in Spanish)
- First oversight report
- Second oversight report
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