The Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Fernando Rabat, highlighted the reform of the judicial appointment system and the bill seeking to move up the entry into force of the National Service for Access to Justice and Victim Defense. From Ñuble, the official stated that the reform of the Judiciary "must be looked at from different angles." Thus, he first highlighted that "we are executing, carrying out the implementation and entry, strictly speaking, of the Service for Access to Justice and Victim Defense, which will be a service that will bring legal assistance closer to all people." He thus noted that a bill with immediate discussion has been introduced, which will be voted on Monday in the Chamber of Deputies and Wednesday in the Senate, and which seeks to move up the entry into force of the service from Ñuble to Aysén. As Rabat detailed, "it was originally scheduled for November 2029, and we want to move it up to January 2029. So I call on all parliamentarians from Ñuble to support this initiative, which will strictly benefit everyone who lives in these cities." Meanwhile, regarding the judicial appointments reform, which is currently in the Senate Constitution Committee, the minister said it will allow "choosing, in each of the courts and at each level, the most suitable judges in a transparent manner." "And from the point of view of judicial governance, to try to eradicate in the courts of justice the idea that they should have the jurisdictional function as their primary matter," he added.
Relocation of the Chillán prison
During his visit to the region, the Minister of Justice also addressed the possible relocation of the Chillán prison away from the city center, noting that land is currently being evaluated and various aspects are being reviewed to determine its feasibility. "Our idea is indeed to be able to move the prison out of the city center to a distance that does not hinder citizens' normal daily life. But this is a concern we have had since we took office," he said. Regarding timelines, Rabat indicated that the Government expects to announce a decision on the land soon, once aspects such as water rights, access, and security conditions have been reviewed. "That is an announcement we hope will come in the very short term. Then comes the prison bidding process, which is a major process," he detailed. He also added that "we have sent personnel from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights to Argentina, France, and England, because today prisons are being built through what are called modular systems, which allow the construction of the penitentiary facility to be completed in 18 months. So in any case, a significant amount of time considering the bidding process and the subsequent construction."