The final draft of legislation to reform the Colombian justice system will be presented during the first week of August, President Juan Manual Santos said Wednesday.
The drafting process has incorporated the opinions of the executive, judicial and legislative branches of the Colombian government.
Newly appointed Minister of Justice Juan Carlos Esguerra has been studying the reforms and listening to the opinions of other government officials.
Magistrate of the Supreme Judiciary Counsel Jose Agustin Suarez Alba has also offered his views on the subject.
“We have spent time in this discussion, trying to see on what points the government can agree with the courts and with other sectors of society,” explained Santos. “As in any discussion, there are different points of view, there are opinions. That’s normal. It is part of democratic discussion.”
However, Congress will have the final authority to decide the remaining differences before the draft is presented.
“As stated in the Constitution, it is the Congress who must ultimately make the decision on the discussions that have been raised,” the president said.
President Santos announced the split of the Interior and Justice Ministries into separate entities in early July as a first step towards alleviating tension between the executive and judicial branches.
“The Ministry of Justice seeks to fundamentally restore this relationship, this necessary fluid communication between the courts and the government,” said Santos in reference to the inter-branch cooperation on the justice reform legislation.
