Principle of Procedural Economy: Panamanian Judicial Challenges

Abstract

The Panamanian judicial system faces chronic congestion that undermines due process enshrined in the provisions of the Political Constitution, while the principle of procedural efficiency, regulated by Law 53 of 2015 and recently amended by Law 402 of 2023, demands promptness in the resolution of disputes. This tension produces paradoxical delays, recurrent annulments, and systemic inequalities, especially in indigenous communities protected by Law 76 of 2021. Using a qualitative interpretive paradigm, with a descriptive-documentary design and a grounded theory method, semi-structured interviews with three key informants were analyzed. The results reveal that appeals triggered by procedural formalities end in annulments; the digital reforms of the Integrated Judicial System reduce processing times but omit cultural guarantees; and Panama ranks low on the Rule of Law Index. It is concluded that a constitutional reform is urgently needed to integrate procedural efficiency with due diligence, incorporating artificial intelligence for case triage and intercultural judicial training, in order to align the Panamanian system with hemispheric standards.