Systematized and accessible case law as a key to legal certainty in Paraguay

Abstract

In Paraguay, even if the doctrine of "stare decisis" does not apply, jurisprudence still plays an important role in generating legal certainty through the uniform application of the law in the courts. This occurs thanks to the work of the Supreme Court of Justice, which, as the highest judicial instance, rules on the validity of judicial resolutions issued by courts and tribunals. This position in the judicial pyramid has a persuasive effect on the other jurisdictional bodies, generating a system of interpretation and uniform application of the law. However, at present, courts and tribunals make little use of the rulings handed down by the Supreme Court. The consequence is a judicial system with contradictory rulings, which fails in its duty to generate legal certainty. In this article we seek to analyze the causes of this situation and propose possible solutions to overcome it. Among these, the proposal to implement a simple access tool to the Court's rulings to facilitate their use is to be highlighted. In this way, this article intends to help generate legal certainty in the country, in order to guarantee the rule of law.