¿Colapsaron los Tribunales civiles?: Quiénes frenan la modernización de la justicia chilena

Civil justice in Chile continues to operate, in essence, with a system dating back to 1902. This is the argument made by former Minister of Justice Hernán Larraín Fernández in his column in La Tercera, where he warns that the country has been dragging along a key reform for over a decade, one that simply isn't moving forward. In his analysis, Larraín establishes a central idea: the problem is not technical, it's political. He speaks directly of the "cost of not legislating" and points to the prolonged inaction of Congress regarding a structural change that—according to him—is indispensable for modernizing the system. The former minister notes that there is a draft civil procedural reform that seeks to transform the current model—written and formalistic—into a more agile one, with greater oral proceedings and better judicial management tools. However, this draft has become bogged down in the legislative process, lacking urgency or priority; it seems that the entire political class is indifferent to the reality. And that's the crux of the matter: without legislation, the system continues to operate with rules from over a century ago, facing a completely different reality, with more complex conflicts and greater demands for efficiency. Larraín warns that this paralysis is not neutral. It has consequences: delays in conflict resolution, reduced legal certainty, and a direct impact on economic activity. Therefore, the lawyer and law professor argues, continuing to postpone this reform not only prolongs an obsolete system but also ultimately has a real cost for the country. In this episode of Tema del Día, hosted by Néstor Aburto, we speak with former Minister of Justice, lawyer, and university professor, Hernán Larraín. Follow us on our social media: Instagram:   / biobiochile   Facebook:   / radiobiobio   Twitter:   / biobio   TikTok:   / biobiochile