Justiniano Montero Montero: The focus on modernization and ethics before the National Council of the Magistracy
Magistrate Justiniano Montero Montero, current president of the First Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ), appeared before the National Council of the Magistracy (CNM) as part of the evaluation process to determine the continuity of judges in the high court. With more than 20 years of experience, Montero highlighted the progress in the operational efficiency of the justice system, while also warning about the ethical challenges imposed by the digital age.
A career built on academic and judicial training
Justiniano Montero is recognized as a career judge with a solid academic foundation. His background includes a Doctorate in Law from the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) and various international master’s degrees in areas such as Administrative, Constitutional, and Municipal Law, completed at prestigious institutions in Spain. His formal entry into the judiciary occurred in 2001, after beginning his path in 1998, consolidating a career that also encompasses teaching at the National School of the Judiciary and the authorship of specialized works on judicial ethics.
Artificial intelligence: A tool with clear limits
During his evaluation, the magistrate emphatically addressed the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the Dominican legal system. While he acknowledged that technology is an indispensable ally for streamlining processes, he was emphatic in pointing out that it cannot replace human judgment.
Technology cannot replace the role of the judge; human judgment must be preserved within the process of administering justice.
Justiniano Montero Montero
Montero warned about the risks of technological hallucinations, where AI systems can present false information with an appearance of truthfulness, a phenomenon she categorized as a critical challenge for legal certainty.
Results and challenges of judicial management
As a summary of his management in the First Chamber of the SCJ, Montero presented figures that support the increase in the court’s productivity. Since April 2019, the chamber has issued more than 27,400 decisions, of which he has been the rapporteur in more than 7,100, managing to reduce response times in complex cases such as arbitrations.
- Productivity: More than 27,000 rulings issued since 2019.
- Technology: Commitment to digital transformation to optimize service.
- Self-criticism: Recognition that the system still faces gaps in daily operations.
Despite these positive indicators, the magistrate maintained a self-critical stance by admitting that, although progress has been made, deficiencies in daily operations still persist that require constant attention. This vision, which combines administrative efficiency with the humanization of the judicial service, defines Montero’s profile at this crucial stage of his evaluation before the National Council of the Magistracy.
