Administrative Organization

The administrative work of the Judicial Branch is exercised through the Judicial Council, as a permanent body of administration and discipline. Article 156 of the Constitution establishes the following functions:

1. To present to the plenary of the Supreme Court of Justice the candidates for appointment, determination of hierarchy and promotion of the judges of the different courts of the Judicial Branch, in accordance with the law.
2. Financial and budgetary administration of the Judicial Branch
3. Disciplinary control over judges, officials and employees of the Judicial Branch with the exception of the members of the Supreme Court of Justice;
4. The application and execution of performance evaluation instruments for judges and administrative personnel of the Judicial Branch;
5. The transfer of judges of the Judicial Branch;
6. The creation of administrative positions in the Judicial Branch;
7. The appointment of all officials and employees who depend on the Judicial Branch;
8. Other functions conferred by law.

Law No. 28-11, Organic Law of the Council of the Judiciary, also lists exhaustively the administrative attributions that correspond to it (Art. 8):

1. To prepare and submit to the Executive Branch the proposal of the annual budget of the Judicial Branch, based on the fixed charges and programs presented by its different agencies, in accordance with the corresponding legal and regulatory norms, so that it may be incorporated into the General Budget of the State.
2. To prepare and approve the annual management report of the Judicial Branch.
3. To present to the plenary of the Supreme Court of Justice the candidates for appointment, determination of hierarchy and promotion of the judges of the different courts of the Judicial Branch.
4. To regulate the System for the Provision of Judicial Positions, the System of the Judicial Scale and the Judicial Administrative Career System.
5. Approve by resolution the annual update of the Judicial Scale proposed by the General Directorate of Administration and Judicial Careers and order its publication and mass dissemination.
6. To annually approve the performance evaluation instruments of the judges of the Judicial Branch and of the administrative officials and employees to be applied by the General Directorate of Administration and Judicial Careers.
7. Submit to the National School of the Judiciary a report every two years on the strategic training needs of the judges of the Judicial Branch in accordance with the results of the annual performance evaluations applied to them.
8. Submit to the Plenary of the Supreme Court of Justice proposed bills for the improvement of the Judicial Career, judicial services or organizational aspects of the Judicial Branch to be submitted to the National Congress.
9. To formulate the programs, complementary norms and policies of the Judicial Career in accordance with the Constitution and the laws.
10. Approve the manuals of classified positions of the Judicial Branch and establish by regulation the scale of remuneration and per diems of the members of the Judicial Career and of the officials and employees that depend on the Judicial Branch.
11. To appoint, by means of a public merit-based competition, the General Director of Administration and Judicial Career, the General Comptroller of the Judicial Branch, the General Inspector of the Judicial Branch, the Director and Deputy Director of the National School of the Judiciary and the General Technical Director.
12. To appoint officials and employees of the Judicial Branch in accordance with the present law and the Administrative Career System of the Judicial Branch.
13. To grant paid or unpaid leave to judges, officials and employees of the Judicial Branch when such leave exceeds 30 days, with the exception of those corresponding to pregnancy and postpartum, in accordance with the law and the corresponding regulations.
14. To administer the Retirement, Pension, Retirement and Social Security Plan of the Judicial Branch, in accordance with the principles set forth in Law No. 87-01, on the National Social Security System. 
15. Approve regulations and guidelines to implement this law.

For the better functioning of the justice service, the Judicial Council has operational support bodies for the proper exercise of its constitutional and legal powers. There are six fundamental units that promote and execute administrative activities, and the Council may create, by means of regulations, such bodies as it deems necessary: I. The General Secretariat of the Judicial Council. II. The General Directorate of Administration and Judicial Careers. III. The Office of the Comptroller General of the Judicial Branch Council. IV. The General Inspectorate of the Judicial Branch Council. V. The General Technical Directorate. VI. The National School of the Judiciary.