On March 11, 2020 the Supreme Court of Justice issued the Decision CSJ No. 1366 by ordering the suspension of the judicial activities from March 12, 2020 to March 26, 2020, in accordance with the sanitary measures adopted by the Executive Branch, due the outbreak of the Covid-19 in Paraguay.

The main consequences of this measure are summarized below:

  1. All procedural, administrative and registral deadlines are suspended, including those procedures that can be performed electronically, which will resume on March 27, 2020.
  2. The only services to be provided during such periods are the following:
  1. Criminal Guarantee Court (two) for enforcement or measurement revisions hearings, search order or seizure and diligence of legal advances on evidences.
  2. First Instance Children and Adolescence Court for the processing legal authorizations to travel abroad, granting of urgent precautionary measures or children restitution procedures.
  3. Peace Court for obtaining minor´s permission or the filing of violence complaints.
  4. Criminal Court of Appeal.
  5. Court of Appeal for Children and Adolescence.
  6. Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice for processing unconstitutionality complaints associated with judgments issued in proceedings related to constitutional guarantees such as amparos, habeas corpus or habeas data.
  7. Civil Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice to answer queries from the courts or authorized courts or from other governmental entities, as long as those reports queries are urgent. 
  8. Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice, regarding to the Court Secretary III, with competence in criminal matters, will work normally; while the Court Secretary IV, will only deal with appeals arising from urgent matters related to Children and Adolescence.
  1. Servants and members of the judiciary who are not expressly will not be allowed to enter the enter into the building of the judiciary.

Please note that the adopted measures by the Supreme Court of Justice do not affect alternative methods of conflict resolution such as arbitration. Note also that the Paraguayan Arbitration and Mediation Centre (“CAMP”), dependent on the Chamber of Commerce and Services of Paraguay, did not suspend ongoing arbitration proceedings.