Six justices of Colombia's Constitutional Court recused themselves from reviewing the suspension of three government decrees issued amid an economic emergency for the winter crisis in Córdoba. Only three justices did not file recusals, halting the full court's decision on the validity of measures including a wealth tax.
Six justices of Colombia's Constitutional Court recused themselves from examining three government decrees issued during the economic emergency to address the winter crisis in Córdoba. The recusals halt the full court's review of the measures' constitutionality, including a wealth tax.
Justices Jorge Enrique Ibáñez, Héctor Carvajal, and Juan Carlos Cortés are the only ones who did not recuse. The others, including President Paola Meneses, Natalia Ángel, Lina Escobar, Carlos Camargo, and Miguel Polo, cited conflicts of interest.
Lina Escobar pointed to her position as a professor at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, an institution subject to the tax. Paola Meneses noted her husband, Luis Fernando Lizcano, serves as legal chief at Ecopetrol, also impacted, plus her ties to Javeriana. Miguel Polo mentioned his teaching roles at Javeriana and Universidad Católica de Colombia.
On Tuesday, the three non-recused justices will meet to appoint substitute judges to assess the recusals. If rejected, a substantive ruling could come on Wednesday.