This Tuesday, October 16, 2018, Costa Rica’s Judiciary Branch voted and opposed the fiscal reform as long as it contains expense containment measures that affect the Judiciary Branch.

The Court took five hours to discuss the situation, and concluded they will oppose the fiscal plan as long as some points they consider “affect” their operation are not eliminated, these include dispositions contained in the fiscal regulations that can affect the budget assigned to the Judiciary Branch by the Constitution or specific laws, the restrictions established in the bill with regards to salaries and its respective components for the employees of the Judicial Branch, among others.

Their argument is that the policies of expense containment and to evaluate the performance of the employees affect the independence of the Judiciary branch.

The judges backed the criteria of the Judicial Direction that stated: “As it is established in the norms cited, the Judicial Branch has authority of self-government when it comes to public employment and consequently its politics and guidelines are not subject to those of another Branch of the Republic, which would change radically if the law project being analyzed is finally approved”.

The fiscal plan had already been approved in first debate by 35 votes in the Legislative Assembly.

The position of the Judicial Branch means another obstacle for the fiscal plan, since, according to Art.167 of the Constitution if the Judicial Branch considers that a project being discussed in Congress affects its organization and operation, the Legislative Assembly will then require 38 votes for its approval.

The criteria of the Constitutional Court is still pending.

President Carlos Alvarado stated that with the support of the different political parties in Congress he will continue pushing the fiscal reform, initiative that he considers indispensable to recover the financial stability of the country.