Dominican Republic Hears 20 Supreme Court Hopefuls

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC · POLITICS

The Dominican Republic is choosing a new Supreme Court president and filling six seats, in public hearings this week.

Twenty Dominican Supreme Court candidates were questioned in public hearings at the National Palace in Santo Domingo on Tuesday. Six of the court’s seats are open, and the process will also decide who succeeds Chief Justice Luis Henry Molina.

The court matters beyond the island because its criminal chamber rules on extradition requests, many of them from the United States. Its president also heads the council that runs the country’s courts.

What Happened at the Hearings

Each candidate appeared before the National Council of the Magistracy (CNM), the body that appoints Supreme Court judges. Twenty of the 22 people called for Tuesday took part, and two declined, the presidency said.

The hearings began on Monday, 5 October, the public stage of a selection process with 88 shortlisted candidates. The presidency said they will also serve as the basis for choosing the court’s next president.

Tuesday’s candidates included Fernando Langa Ferreira, a private lawyer whom various groups have proposed for the presidency, Listín Diario reported. “I have not come before you seeking an honour,” he told the council.

“I have come to express my most sincere decision to take on that great responsibility,” Langa added. The council did not indicate a preferred candidate.

Why the Top Job Is Open

Molina has led the Dominican Supreme Court since 2019. Listín Diario reported that he chose not to seek reconfirmation after seven years in the post.

Under the constitution, Supreme Court judges face a performance review by the council seven years after their election. They must retire at 75, and the court has at least 16 judges.

The presidency’s statement did not explain how each of the six vacancies arose. It did not say which other judges are leaving.

The court’s president also chairs the Judiciary Council, which manages judges’ careers, discipline and the court system’s administration. That makes the choice of president as important for how the courts run as for their rulings.

Who Decides

According to the presidency, the council has eight members, led by the president of the republic. They include the heads of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, plus opposition senator Omar Fernández and opposition deputy Tobías Crespo.

Molina, Supreme Court judge Nancy Salcedo Fernández and Constitutional Court president Napoleón Estévez Lavandier complete it. Molina was appointed in 2019, when the council was chaired by Abinader’s predecessor, Danilo Medina.

Abinader, of the centrist Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), won a second term in 2024. Raquel Peña, his vice president since 2020, chaired Tuesday’s session on his behalf.

On Tuesday, former vice president Margarita Cedeño wrote on X that the time has come for a woman to lead the court. Cedeño, vice president from 2012 to 2020, argued that the country has qualified women judges and lawyers.

Public trust in the courts is low. Only 28% of Dominicans trust the judiciary, according to the Latinobarómetro 2026 survey as reported by the news site Acento.

The survey interviewed 1,000 Dominican adults in May and June 2026. Trust in the police stood at 24% and in the presidency at 35%.

What It Means for You

For US law enforcement, the criminal chamber of the Dominican Supreme Court gives the legal green light before a suspect is extradited. The president of the republic then signs off on the handover.

Extradition is a regular part of US-Dominican security cooperation. The new judges and court president will inherit those cases.

For US investors, the Supreme Court is the final appeal in commercial and civil disputes. A separate Constitutional Court handles constitutional cases, and nothing changes for travellers.

What Is Not Known

The council has not set a vote date or said whether the new president will come from sitting judges. It is also unclear whether Molina will remain on the court as an ordinary judge.

Official statements do not explain every vacancy, and no shortlist of front-runners has been published. Support for any candidate inside the council is not known.

What Comes Next

The last two hearing days are Thursday, 8 October, and Friday, 9 October, with about 22 candidates each. After that, the council is expected to deliberate and vote on the six seats and the presidency.

A new court president would not by itself change extradition law or US cooperation. It would change who leads the judiciary and how its courts are run.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who chooses Supreme Court judges in the Dominican Republic?

The National Council of the Magistracy, an eight-member body chaired by the president of the republic, appoints them. It includes congressional leaders, two opposition lawmakers, two Supreme Court judges and the president of the Constitutional Court.

Why is the Supreme Court president leaving?

Luis Henry Molina, president of the court since 2019, did not seek reconfirmation after seven years, according to Listín Diario. Judges face a performance review after seven years under the constitution.

Does the Dominican Supreme Court decide extraditions to the United States?

Its criminal chamber rules on whether an extradition request can go ahead. The president of the republic then authorises the handover.

How many candidates are competing?

The council shortlisted 88 candidates for six seats. They are being heard over four days: 5, 6, 8 and 9 October.

When will the new judges be named?

No date has been announced. The council is expected to vote after the final hearings on 9 October.

Sources: Presidency of the Dominican Republic, statement of 6 October 2026; Listín Diario, candidates and vacancies; Listín Diario, Fernando Langa; Listín Diario, Margarita Cedeño; Hoy; Acento, Latinobarómetro 2026 (all accessed 7 October 2026).