U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor and Puerto Rico Supreme Court Chief Justice Maite Oronoz Address Latin American Judges

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Photo: esdelatino.com

WASHINGTON – U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Puerto Rico Supreme Court Chief Justice Maite Oronoz today addressed over 157 judges from Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama and Peru as part of a Department of Justice training program for the judiciaries of the Western Hemisphere. 

During the virtual event held at the Judicial Studies Institute (JSI), Justice Sotomayor discussed the role of the judge and judicial independence. She also stressed the importance of their contribution to the rule of law in the hemisphere and lauded them for their role in the transformation of Latin American justice.   

Chief Justice Maite Oronoz spoke about transparency, accountability and education as mechanisms to protect and strengthen judicial independence. She also encouraged the judges to participate in education initiatives to promote a better understanding of the role of the courts and therefore increase public confidence in the judiciary.

Puerto Rico Supreme Court Chief Justice Maite Oronoz. Photo: primerahora.com

With the support of Justice Sotomayor, and in partnership with the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, the Justice Department’s Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) launched JSI in 2012 as a response to the wave of justice sector reforms in Latin America that saw many countries transition from an inquisitorial to an adversarial system of justice. 

Through Spanish instruction, practical exercises, and observations of courtroom proceedings, participating judges learned about evidentiary guidelines, the role of judges, and courtroom management in an adversarial justice system. 

This capacity building is critical to the region as there are significant differences between the two systems. For example, in an inquisitorial system, judges investigate charges and determine guilt through written deliberations behind closed doors. In an adversarial system, the judge acts as an impartial referee responsible for weighing evidence and guaranteeing the rights of both the victim and the accused in an open courtroom setting.

Since establishing JSI in 2012, OPDAT and its partners at the University of Puerto Rico and Inter-American University law schools have trained over 900 Latin American judges.

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