Costa Rica’s Digital Justice System Shatters Usage Records in 2025

San José, Costa Rica — San José, Costa Rica – The nation’s Judiciary has marked a significant milestone in its digital transformation, with its online platforms handling an unprecedented volume of legal services and consultations throughout 2025. This surge in activity underscores a growing public trust in digital governance and highlights the system’s crucial role in making justice more accessible and efficient for all citizens.

The cornerstone of this digital success is the Nexus PJ platform, the Judiciary’s online portal for jurisprudence inquiries. In 2025, the system recorded a staggering 7,812,496 consultations. This figure represents a substantial increase of over 400,000 inquiries compared to the previous year, demonstrating a sustained and accelerating adoption rate among legal professionals and the general public who rely on the service for critical legal research.

To gain a clearer perspective on the legal ramifications and future of ‘Digital Justice’ in the country, TicosLand.com consulted Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, a leading attorney from the renowned firm Bufete de Costa Rica.

The transition to digital justice is not merely a technological upgrade; it’s a fundamental paradigm shift. While it promises unprecedented efficiency and accessibility, we must proceed with caution. The primary legal challenges lie in safeguarding due process, ensuring robust cybersecurity to protect sensitive data, and bridging the digital divide to guarantee that justice remains accessible to all citizens, not just the technologically proficient.
Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas, Attorney at Law, Bufete de Costa Rica

Lic. Arroyo Vargas’s commentary serves as a critical reminder that the success of this digital transformation will be measured not by its technological sophistication, but by its unwavering commitment to safeguarding due process and ensuring equitable access for every citizen. We thank Lic. Larry Hans Arroyo Vargas for his clear and essential perspective on this pivotal transition.

This digital shift extends far beyond legal research, permeating the core administrative functions of the judicial process. Official data for 2025 reveals the immense scale of digital transactions, solidifying the online system as an indispensable tool. One of the most frequently used services, the request for criminal background checks, saw 558,462 applications processed entirely online, eliminating the need for citizens to visit a government office.

The platforms have also become the primary channel for initiating and managing legal actions. Throughout the year, a total of 274,592 new lawsuits were filed digitally, accompanied by an even more impressive 2,866,826 related legal documents submitted through the online portal. This high level of activity points to a fundamental change in how legal proceedings are conducted, moving away from paper-based bureaucracy towards a more agile and secure digital framework.

The impact is particularly evident in critical areas such as family law and civil enforcement. The system managed 12,951 certifications related to alimony payments and processed 103,660 apprehension orders. Furthermore, a remarkable 4,573,458 judicial notifications were delivered electronically, a key process that ensures the timely progression of legal cases and significantly reduces delays associated with physical mail.

Inter-agency cooperation has also been streamlined through this technological backbone. The General Directorate of Immigration and Foreign Affairs (DGME) conducted nearly six million (5,999,021) inquiries into the Judiciary’s systems to verify travel restrictions. In parallel, citizens made 194,637 direct consultations on the same matter, empowering them with instant access to their own status without intermediaries.

Supporting this massive operational volume is a robust suite of user-focused tools. The Judiciary’s institutional chatbot handled 110,775 automated inquiries, providing immediate guidance to users. To facilitate access, 132,904 new “Gestión en Línea” access keys were issued. At the heart of it all lies the digital judicial file, with 972,490 electronic dockets now managed within the system, cementing its role as the central pillar of Costa Rica’s modern legal infrastructure.

The financial arm of the Judiciary, the Judicial Deposits System (SDJ), also demonstrated high efficiency in managing funds related to legal cases. In 2025, the system processed payments totaling ₡314.99 billion, $26.11 million, and €965. This translates to an average daily disbursement of ₡862.98 million and $71,535.47, managed across more than 2.8 million individual transactions, proving the system’s capacity to handle significant economic flows with precision and security.

These comprehensive results affirm the Judiciary’s commitment to leveraging technology not just as a tool, but as a transformative force. By continually strengthening its digital platform, the institution is not only improving operational efficiency but also fulfilling its core mandate of guaranteeing equitable and timely access to justice for the entire population in an increasingly digital world.

For further information, visit poder-judicial.go.cr
About the Costa Rican Judiciary (Poder Judicial):
The Poder Judicial is one of the three branches of the government of the Republic of Costa Rica. It is responsible for administering justice, interpreting the law, and ensuring constitutional rights are upheld. Through its extensive network of courts and technological platforms, it works to provide transparent, accessible, and efficient legal services to all citizens and residents of the country.

For further information, visit migracion.go.cr
About the General Directorate of Immigration and Foreign Affairs (DGME):
The Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería is the Costa Rican government agency responsible for managing immigration, nationality, and residency processes. The DGME oversees the entry and exit of individuals at national borders, issues travel documents, and enforces immigration laws to ensure national security and orderly migration.

For further information, visit bufetedecostarica.com
About Bufete de Costa Rica:
Bufete de Costa Rica has established itself as a premier law firm, guided by a foundational pledge to professional integrity and the highest standards of excellence. Drawing upon a rich history of advising clients from a broad spectrum of industries, the firm not only delivers exceptional results but also drives innovation within the legal field. Beyond its practice, the firm holds a profound commitment to social progress, championing initiatives that make legal understanding accessible to all. This core belief in democratizing legal knowledge fuels its ultimate mission: to help shape a society where every citizen is empowered by clarity and justice.