Costa Rica Magistrate Election Blocked Again
POLITICS · COSTA RICA
Key Facts
- —The country Costa Rica, a Central American democracy whose Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court, known as Sala IV, rules on rights claims and the constitutionality of laws.
- —What happened On 29 September 2026 the ruling party’s 27 votes sent nine Sala IV alternate magistrate nominations back to committee, CRHoy reported. It confirmed the move on 1 October.
- —Who is involved Ruling Pueblo Soberano (PPSO) against the four opposition blocs: PLN, Broad Front, PUSC and Citizen Agenda Coalition, which say the move defies a July court order.
- —What it means for you Cases needing alternate judges stay frozen: 144 as of 25 September 2026, the court told La Nación, up from 87 in June, per CRHoy.
- —Still open Whether Sala IV finds the Assembly in contempt, whether prosecutors open a case, and whether 38 votes can ever be found for the nine seats.
The Costa Rica magistrate election for nine alternate seats on the Constitutional Court has stalled again. On Tuesday 29 September the ruling party sent the nominations back to committee instead of to a vote.
The four opposition blocs answered by announcing a contempt complaint, arguing the Legislative Assembly is ignoring a July ruling. On Thursday 1 October the National Liberation Party (PLN), the largest opposition party, filed it with the court.
What happened in the Assembly
José Miguel Villalobos of the ruling Pueblo Soberano party (PPSO) proposed the motion, which passed with 27 ruling-party votes, CRHoy and El Observador reported. The list had already cleared the appointments committee, and the PPSO confirmed the motion on 1 October.
The Red Nacional de Sectores Sociales, a coalition of civic groups, gave the same account on 1 October, CRC 891 reported. It said the ruling faction approved the motion “with its own votes”.
“This amounts to a rupture of the constitutional order,” said Álvaro Ramírez of the PLN. He called it the Assembly’s contempt of “a very clear mandate” from the court.
Claudia Dobles (Citizen Agenda Coalition), José María Villalta (Broad Front) and Abril Gordienko (Social Christian Unity Party) backed the complaint. The PLN complaint asks the court to order an immediate plenary vote and to refer the case to the Public Ministry, the prosecution service.
Why the court seats matter
Sala IV, the Constitutional Chamber, hears rights petitions known as amparos. When regular magistrates recuse themselves, alternates must step in, and none has sat since their terms expired in mid-December 2025.
Files that need them cannot be decided. CRHoy counted 87 such cases on 11 June 2026, and Semanario Universidad counted 123 by 14 July.
La Nación put the figure at 135 on 26 August, and the court gave 144 as of 25 September. Semanario Universidad said the July files included pension, public-employment and health claims.
How the dispute reached this point
The Supreme Court sent 18 candidates for the nine seats. Electing magistrates needs 38 of the 57 deputies, and eleven rounds of voting failed before June, CRHoy reported.
The list went back to the court twice: by PPSO motion on 10 June and by legislative president Yara Jiménez on 15 July. She said it did not allow assessment “with objective and technical criteria”.
On 30 July Sala IV annulled her decision and ordered a plenary vote at “the next possible opportunity”, CRHoy reported. A 4–3 majority also extended the expired alternates’ terms until new ones are chosen.
The government side and the stabilisers
The ruling party says the process was exhausted after eleven failed rounds and wants a new list. Three dissenting magistrates also saw the extension as an intrusion into legislative powers, La Nación reported.
The extended alternates offer a partial way out, though a first attempt to seat one failed on 22 September. The court’s press office told La Nación it will try again on 6 October, which would let stalled cases move.
The court is also choosing its next leadership, with judge Patricia Solano in the race, as covered in Costa Rica Judge Solano Seeks Supreme Court Presidency.
What Is Not Yet Known
It is not known when Sala IV will rule on the PLN complaint, or whether the Costa Rica magistrate election returns to the floor first. A referral to prosecutors is a request, not a decision.
Whether the extended alternates actually sit on 6 October is not yet confirmed. Nor is it clear whether the PPSO will accept any vote on the current 18 names.
Sources: Semanario Universidad (29 September 2026, also 14 and 15 July); CRC 891 (1 October 2026); CRHoy (11 June, 16 and 30 July, 1 October 2026); La Nación (31 July, 26 August, 30 September 2026); El Observador (1 October 2026); Diario Extra (2 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief