Santo Domingo.- Vice President Raquel Peña presided over the swearing-in ceremony for the five new judges of the Dominican Republic’s Constitutional Court, as well as the first and second substitutes for the president of the High Court. These appointments are set for a term of nine years.
The new judges include Napoleón Ricardo Lavandier as the president, along with Phidias Federico Aristy Payano, Amaury Amílcar Reyes Torres, Sonia Argentina Díaz, Army Esperanza Ferreira Feliz, Judge Miguel Valera Montero, and Judge Eunisis Vásquez Acosta, serving as the first and second substitutes, respectively.
During the ceremony, Vice President Peña commended the National Council of the Judiciary for their diligent work in convening, preselecting, interviewing, evaluating, and ultimately choosing the new members of the Constitutional Court. She also congratulated the outgoing judges, represented by Dr. Milton Ray Guevara, for their 12 years of invaluable jurisprudential work.
Peña expressed confidence that the new composition of the Court would continue the legacy of the first cohorts, strengthening the nation’s growing institutions, maintaining balance, and promoting legal security.
The vice president emphasized the challenging task faced by the National Council of the Judiciary, given the limited number of positions available. Despite these challenges, the Council succeeded in selecting candidates with exemplary qualifications to contribute to the country’s stability.
The new members of the Constitutional Court were chosen after careful deliberation by the National Council of the Judiciary. This council includes various key figures such as President Luis Abinader; Luis Henry Molina, President of the Supreme Court of Justice; Attorney General Miriam Germán Brito; Ricardo de Los Santos, President of the Senate; Alfredo Pacheco, President of the Chamber of Deputies; Supreme Court of Justice Judge Nancy Salcedo; Bautista Rojas Gómez, Senator of the People’s Force; and Víctor Fadul, PLD Deputy.
These new judges replace magistrates concluding their 12-year terms, ensuring continuity and integrity in the Constitutional Court’s function. The ceremony was attended by prominent government and judiciary officials, demonstrating the significance of this transition in upholding the rule of law and constitutional governance in the Dominican Republic.