What Happened
A legal commentary from Panama argues that becoming a lawyer in the country means more than mastering doctrine and case law. It says the profession quickly confronts the realities of public pressure, political influence, economic interests and personal biases that can affect how justice is administered.
The piece frames the work of lawyers as a constant effort to protect constitutional guarantees and due process, especially when courts face pressure from powerful actors or public opinion amplified on social media.
Justice Under Pressure
The commentary questions whether justice in Panama functions as a neutral system for deciding rights or as a place where influence can shape outcomes. It warns that if judges were guided by sympathy, convenience, popularity or outside pressure, the judicial system would fall short of the rule of law.
It also points to structural weaknesses that can undermine impartiality, including the lack of a fully implemented judicial career system and the absence of true budgetary autonomy for the courts.
The Role of the Lawyer
Rather than calling for resignation, the message urges young lawyers to respond with technical discipline and ethical firmness. It describes the lawyer as a guardian of due process, responsible for presenting facts and legal arguments with precision and insisting on the supremacy of the Constitution.
The commentary says strong legal reasoning can raise the institutional cost of arbitrariness by forcing courts to justify decisions rigorously, making deviations from the law visible to the public and to higher courts.
Why It Matters
The piece reflects a broader debate in Panama over judicial independence, access to justice and the pressures that can affect court decisions. It emphasizes that access to justice is sometimes obstructed by requirements that are not imposed by law, especially in cases that are unpopular or politically sensitive.
Its central message is that defending a client is also defending constitutional guarantees. In that view, the health of Panama’s democracy depends on lawyers who combine legal knowledge with honesty, good faith, ethics and determination.
The author is a former magistrate of the Supreme Court of Justice.