When the other side is the State, procedure weighs as much as the merits. A missed deadline or a badly framed remedy closes the door before anyone gets to consider whether you were right. We represent individuals and companies before Panamanian public bodies, from the first submission through to the Supreme Court.
Every administrative matter has its own entry point and its own deadline. These are the proceedings we take on most often.
Motion for reconsideration before the authority that issued the decision, and appeal to its hierarchical superior. This is the step the law requires before going to court, and the one that loses the most cases by simply being allowed to lapse.
Full jurisdiction claims to restore a harmed right and seek compensation, or annulment actions to remove an unlawful act from the legal order. Both are heard by the Third Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice.
Review of tender documents, support during the public act, claims and challenges to awards, and defence in proceedings for administrative termination of contract or debarment of the contractor.
Obtaining, renewing and defending authorisations before regulators, municipalities and sector authorities, including forfeiture and revocation proceedings.
Defence against fines, closures and penalties imposed by regulators. The ground where most cases are won is procedural safeguards: valid notification, the right to be heard, and adequate reasoning of the decision.
Claims for damage arising from the operation of public services or from irregular administrative conduct, including the direct reparation route.
Document management, case follow-up, freedom of information requests and representation before ministries, autonomous entities and municipalities.
General administrative procedure in Panama is governed by Law 38 of 2000, supplemented by sector-specific rules. A single matter may pass through several of these bodies before it is resolved.
The court that reviews the legality of administrative acts. It is where you arrive after exhausting administrative remedies.
Appears as a party in administrative litigation and issues opinions that guide how public bodies act.
Governs the State purchasing system and runs PanamaCompra, where selection procedures are published and processed.
Decides challenges against acts within selection procedures and penalties imposed on contractors.
The route to enforce access to public information — a standard tool for building a file before challenging a decision.
Sector regulators, local authorities and decentralised entities, each with its own procedure and its own deadlines.
At the administrative stage, time limits run in business days and are short. Once they expire the decision becomes final and the matter is lost on procedure, not on merits. If you have just received a notification from a public body, that is the moment to seek advice — not after trying to resolve it informally.
Before you can sue the State before the Third Chamber of the Supreme Court, you must first have challenged the decision within the administration itself, through a motion for reconsideration and an administrative appeal.
If those remedies are not exhausted, the later court claim can be dismissed without anyone examining the merits. It is one of the most common reasons a case with a good argument ends up lost.
Deadlines at the administrative stage are counted in business days and are short: days, not months. Once they expire the decision becomes final and can no longer be challenged.
That is why you should seek advice as soon as you receive the notification. A good share of the matters that reach a firm late no longer have any procedural remedy.
Yes. Panama's public procurement regime allows challenges before the Administrative Court of Public Procurement.
Deadlines are short and a bond is usually required, so the decision to challenge must be made quickly and with the file already reviewed. It is worth analysing the tender documents and the public act before the award is published, not after.
A full jurisdiction claim seeks to restore an individual right that has been harmed and, beyond annulling the act, may award compensation. It is subject to a deadline.
An annulment action seeks only to remove an unlawful act from the legal order, and anyone may bring it. Which route applies depends on what you want to obtain and how much time has passed.
Yes. A foreign investor or company holding concessions, permits, licences or contracts with the Panamanian State is subject to the same administrative procedure.
You do not need to be in the country to instruct us: representation is arranged by power of attorney and communication can be handled electronically.
Tell us about your case in general terms and we will tell you whether there is room to act and how long you have. The initial assessment commits you to nothing.
The content of this page is general information about Panamanian law. It does not constitute legal advice and does not replace analysis of a specific case. Submitting the form does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship, which is formed solely by express agreement between the parties.