The Judiciary Council, in the resolution adopted in Ordinary Session No. 062 – 2024 on May 30, 2024, extended the hours of service for the submission of requests and documents through the Electronic Judicial Management Office, to seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
While the resolution modified the hours of operation of the Electronic Judicial Management Office, it does not change the moment when judicial terms expire, as explained below: Article 77 of the General Organic Code of Processes provides:
Art. 77.-Beginning and expiration of the term. The term begins to run in a common manner, with respect to all parties, from the working day following the last summons or notification. Its expiration occurs at the last working moment of the workday.
That is, terms expire at the last working moment of the workday, which is consistent with Article 78 of the same legal body, which states that working hours are those established by the Judiciary Council.
According to Article 100 of the Organic Code of the Judicial Function, it is the obligation of all judicial function servers to fulfill the forty-hour workweek in eight-hour daily shifts. Furthermore, the workday established by the Judiciary Council is from 08:00 to 17:00 from Monday to Friday, which is consistent with Article 78 of the General Organic Code of Processes.
In conclusion, the extension of the hours of service of the Electronic Judicial Management Office optimizes judicial management in the submission of documents and requests, but does not modify the expiration of terms, which will continue to be until 17:00 on the last day.
Arguing that the expiration of terms occurs at 24:00 on the last day lacks legal and factual support, as substantiated.
Mateo Zavala
Senior associate at CorralRosales
mzavala@corralrosales.com