American Expatriate Costa Rica

UN committee calls for independence of judges

The Human Rights Committee of the United Nations expressed its concern for judges independence in Costa Rica after receiving information about the trial that the Supreme Court opened against judge Carlos Sánchez, who ruled in favor of the rights of a gay couple.

Sánchez, a family judge, issued a decision for recognizing a civil union between two young males in 2013.

The magistrates of the Supreme Court reviewed the case last February, after “Tribunal de la Inspección Judicial” opened, by its own initiative, a disciplinary process against Sánchez, for allegedly applying a “frozen norm” by the Constitutional Court.

The magistrates try to determinate if the judge committed a grave fault or a very grave fault that might cost him his seat.

Sanchéz’s main defense lawyer Yaruma Vásquez said that the judge did not applied the “frozen norm” instead he upheld international instruments that obligate Costa Rica not to discriminate a person for their sexual orientation.

Source: La Nación.