Today, the Due Process of Law Foundation (DPLF) and Fundación Contruir published their report, “Judicial Elections in Bolivia: An Unprecedented Event,” written by Luis Pásara, an expert on justice issues and a DPLF Senior Fellow. The report was launched during an event in La Paz, Bolivia.

The 2008 Constitution made Bolivia the only country in the world where the highest judicial authorities are elected by popular vote. In 2011, Bolivian citizens went to the polls to vote on the members of the Supreme Court of Justice (Tribunal Supremo de Justicia), the Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal (Tribunal Constitucional Plurinacional), the Agrienvironmental Tribunal (Tribunal Agroambiental), and the Judicial Council (Consejo de la Magistratura). This publication examines the judicial election process, notes opinions on the process, analyzes the path the process has taken over the last three years, and presents the options available in Bolivia to perfect this mechanism.

We hope this report becomes a tool to promote a technical debate on the role of an independent justice system in all democratic societies and in the current challenges facing Bolivia, taking into account the lessons learned from this unique electoral experience.