The Puerto Rican Bar Association (PRBA), a New York-based organization of legal professionals, asked Governor Jenniffer González Colón to veto Senate Bill 1096, arguing the measure would change the governance and administration of Puerto Rico’s Judicial Branch in ways that compromise its constitutional independence. In a letter dated November 1, 2026 and signed by Lillian Mosley, PRBA president for 2026–2028, the association says the bill would transfer a significant part of the Chief Justice’s administrative authority to the full Supreme Court, a change it insists requires a constitutional amendment rather than ordinary legislation.
The PRBA grounds its position in Article V, Section 7 of the Puerto Rico Constitution, which it says distinguishes the Supreme Court’s power to approve rules on court administration from the Chief Justice’s responsibility to direct it, a design meant to promote institutional independence, accountability and efficient court operations. 'Judicial independence is not an institutional privilege granted to judges; it is a fundamental protection that belongs to the people,' the letter states. The association also expressed solidarity with 115 law professors from the Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, the University of Puerto Rico and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico who have raised constitutional concerns, echoing their warnings about a fragmented administrative structure, reduced accountability and greater political influence over the judiciary’s internal governance.
The letter closes with a call for the governor to veto the bill and support thorough review of any proposed judicial reform.