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House hearing on bill to add courts to Puerto Ricos priority-service law highlights separation-of-powers concerns
Summary
A public hearing on House Bill 737 drew support from advocacy groups seeking faster remedies for older adults and people with disabilities, while the Administration of the Courts warned the judiciary already uses administrative orders and urged deference to its discretion in managing courtroom dockets.
The House of Representatives held a public hearing Sept. 11 on Proyecto de la Cmara 737, a bill that would amend Article 2 of Law 297 of 2018 (the uniform law on express-service lines and priority-turn sessions) to include the judicial branch and its offices in the law's requirements for express-service queues and priority turns for certain populations.
Proponents including AARP Puerto Rico and the Office of the Public Advocate for Persons with Disabilities urged the committee to adopt the bill as a way to reduce delays that can leave older adults and people with disabilities without timely access to judicial remedies. "Nos preocupa que el remedio no sea gil y a veces la justicia llegue tarde," said Eddy Olivera Robles of AARP Puerto Rico.
The Administration of the Courts, represented by Mnica Hernndez and Giselle Rosa Gonzlez, told the committee it supports expedited administrative service for the public but expressed reservations about applying the…
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