Venezuela publishes 127 candidates for judicial selection committee — The Rio Times

Venezuela’s National Assembly on October 10 published a list of 127 applicants for a committee that will select new judges for the Supreme Tribunal of Justice. Twelve civil society representatives are to be chosen from this list, The Rio Times reports.

According to the parliament’s press service, all published applicants meet the requirements established by law. They were nominated by public organizations or submitted applications independently. The application deadline ended on October 9.

Committee composition

The judicial nominations committee will consist of 23 people: 12 civil society representatives and 11 lawmakers. Once formed, it will announce the acceptance of applications from candidates for judicial positions, verify documents, consider objections, and conduct interviews.

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The list of candidates will then be submitted to the Republican Moral Council, which includes the prosecutor, comptroller, and ombudsman. After a second review, the council will return the final list to the National Assembly. A two-thirds parliamentary vote is required to appoint judges, but after several unsuccessful votes, the law allows a decision to be made by a simple majority.

Renewal of the court’s composition

According to El Pitazo, all 32 judges of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice are to be replaced. The previous commission was to select 12 civil society representatives and submit their list to parliament. El Pitazo reported that the list was expected by October 15, but opposition lawmaker Luis Florido said that, due to the large number of applications, the evaluation could take longer.

In May 2017, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the head of Venezuela’s court and seven members of its Constitutional Chamber. The U.S. side said at the time that their decisions had usurped the powers of Venezuela’s democratically elected legislative body.