The city of Buenos Aires has the opportunity to build a modern and reliable justice system that differs from the national model, which has suffered for years from neglect, endless delays and the lack of deep reforms. But infrastructure, technology or new processes are not enough: a clear ethical framework is needed that regulates expectations and strengthens citizens’ trust.
The discussion is not technical, but deeply political and institutional. It is necessary to define whether we want a code, why we need it and what values it is intended to protect. And this debate is by no means just a side issue, but rather part of the basic architecture of a judiciary that wants to be a role model.
Buenos Aires’ justice system is not suffering the deterioration that the national justice system has suffered. Those of us who have been litigating in national courts all our lives know that our problems are not due to their judges or their staff, but to a system that has been abandoned by politicians for years: files that have existed for more than a decade, outdated infrastructures, inefficient procedures and a citizenry that only remembers the judiciary when it makes them suffer.
This model; Slow, worn out and without deep reforms, it should not be repeated in the city. For this reason, the transfer of powers from the State cannot be a mere administrative transfer: it must be an opportunity to modernize procedures, invest in infrastructure, integrate technology and build a more agile, transparent system, with support for human rights and a gender perspective, closer to the citizen.
But no reform will be enough if it is not supported by a central pillar: the ethical quality of those who administer justice.
Argentina has demonstrated at crucial moments in its history that an independent and courageous judiciary can change the country’s institutional course. At the time, no one would have thought that the trial of the juntas could be carried out without interference. And yet it happened. Today we are going through other processes of enormous importance related to structural corruption; Processes that, beyond personal opinions, mark a turning point for a society that tolerated corruption as part of society for decades.
For this to be possible, capable, independent judges with strong ethical convictions are needed. Good legal technique is not enough: we need integrity, independence, impartiality, principles of prudence, responsibility and a deep commitment to the duty to administer justice.
A code of judicial ethics is precisely the tool that allows these standards to be given clarity and predictability. It’s not about persecution or punishment; It is about providing guidance, establishing common criteria and defining what society expects from those who make up the judiciary. and which behaviors are incompatible with this function.
I believe that the Autonomous City should not copy other people’s models or automatically adhere to international codes. Judicial ethics must be built on the sought-after profile of the judge in Buenos Aires and the role expected of its judges, prosecutors and defense lawyers.
So each jurisdiction has its identity, its institutional culture and its challenges. A code must be independent, real and functional for this reality. Not only traditional behavior but also current dilemmas must be taken into account: social networks, connections to other branches of government, conflicts of interest, independence from media pressure and responsible handling of public information. At the same time, we answer questions and questions that arise from the role itself and are discussed in an ethics advisory committee.
From the “Proposed Reflection Day for a Code of Judicial Ethics for the CABA” we conclude that judicial ethics are not imposed but constructed. It requires dialogue between judges, legislators, lawyers, experts and civil society. It requires recognizing that a justice system improves not just through infrastructure or technology, although both are essential, but through people who embody the values that society needs.
In short, the development of a Code of Ethics for the judiciary of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires is neither a symbolic gesture nor a textbook reform. It assumes institutional responsibility for building an exemplary judiciary, at the peak of the trust that citizens deserve.
Advisor to the CABA Judicial Council
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