The National Council of the Magistracy (CNM) will proceed to choose three men and two women to fill the five vacancies in the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ), following institutional and constitutional criteria. This decision responds to the requirement of gender proportionality and the mandate that the majority of the magistrates be career judicial judges.
The applicants and the gender quota
The selection would be made from a group of eight candidates, of whom three men would be chosen from among Franklin Emilio Concepción Acosta, Namphi Andrés Rodríguez, Víctor Rafael Minier Méndez, Amauri Antonio Pimentel Fabián, and Diómedes Villalona Guerrero. For the two female seats, the options would be Arellis Ricourt Gómez, Ylonna María de la Rocha Camilo, and Yorlin Lisset Vásquez Castro.
Constitutional criteria and judicial career quota
The Dominican Constitution establishes that at least 75% of the members of the SCJ must be career judicial judges. In the current selection, this translates into three career magistrates and two external ones. Gender proportionality is also mandatory: the law requires that at least two of the five new magistrates be women.
Why is gender proportionality important?
The inclusion of women in high-level judicial positions is not a symbolic gesture, but an obligation of democratic justice. The balanced participation of women and men in decision-making bodies strengthens public trust, corrects historical asymmetries, and complies with international standards of equality.
The names on the list
- Franklin Emilio Concepción Acosta
- Namphi Andrés Rodríguez
- Víctor Rafael Minier Méndez
- Amauri Antonio Pimentel Fabián
- Diómedes Villalona Guerrero
- Arellis Ricourt Gómez
- Ylonna María de la Rocha Camilo
- Yorlin Lisset Vásquez Castro
The institutional impact of the selection
The election of 3 men and 2 women for the SCJ guarantees institutional continuity and the professionalization of the judicial system. Gender proportionality and the judicial career are fundamental pillars for the structural independence of the Judiciary.
The selection of 3 men and 2 women for the SCJ not only complies with the law, but also reinforces institutional legitimacy. Gender proportionality and the judicial career are criteria that cannot be relaxed or interpreted with political bias.
The decision to choose 3 men and 2 women for the SCJ is a key step to strengthen democracy and justice in the Dominican Republic. Gender proportionality and the judicial career are constitutional obligations that must be respected in every selection process.
In short, the selection of 3 men and 2 women for the SCJ is an example of how constitutional and equality principles are applied in Dominican judicial practice. Gender proportionality and the judicial career are pillars that guarantee the independence and legitimacy of the Judiciary.