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Res. 00347-2020 Tribunal de Apelación Contencioso Administrativo y Civil de Hacienda · Tribunal de Apelación Contencioso Administrativo y Civil de Hacienda · 02/07/2020
OutcomeResultado
The appeal is dismissed and the denial of a preliminary interim measure seeking to suspend the effects of a sanitary operating permit issued by the Ministry of Health for the Peñas Blancas customs facility is affirmed, due to lack of legal basis and failure to meet the required legal elements.Se declara sin lugar el recurso de apelación y se confirma la denegatoria de la medida cautelar anticipada solicitada para suspender los efectos de un permiso sanitario de funcionamiento otorgado por el Ministerio de Salud a la Aduana de Peñas Blancas, por falta de fundamentación y ausencia de los requisitos legales.
SummaryResumen
The Administrative Appeals Court of the Second Circuit confirms the denial of a preliminary interim measure sought to suspend the effects of a sanitary operating permit issued by the Ministry of Health for the Peñas Blancas customs facility in La Cruz, Guanacaste. The applicant, apparently a customs employee, alleged sanitary deficiencies and health risks (including the COVID-19 pandemic) and environmental harm. The court finds the application lacks sufficient basis: it fails to establish a prima facie case (fumus bonis iuris) because it does not articulate a clear theory of the case or specify the defects in the impugned act; it does not demonstrate serious individualized harm to the applicant; and it does not engage in the required balancing of interests. The introduction of new arguments on appeal (such as COVID-19 concerns) is rejected. A separate concurring opinion notes lack of instrumentality and the inadmissibility of a popular action in the administrative contentious jurisdiction.El Tribunal de Apelación Contencioso Administrativo y Civil de Hacienda confirma la denegatoria de una medida cautelar anticipada solicitada para suspender los efectos de un permiso sanitario de funcionamiento otorgado por el Ministerio de Salud a la Aduana de Peñas Blancas, La Cruz, Guanacaste. La solicitante, aparentemente funcionaria de la aduana, alegaba deficiencias sanitarias y riesgos a la salud (incluyendo la pandemia de COVID-19) y al ambiente. El tribunal concluye que la demanda cautelar carece de fundamentación suficiente: no se acredita la apariencia de buen derecho (fumus bonis iuris), pues no se articula una teoría del caso clara ni se precisan los vicios del acto impugnado; no se demuestra un daño grave individualizado a la solicitante; y no se realiza la ponderación de intereses. Además, se rechaza la introducción de argumentos novedosos en apelación (como los relativos al COVID-19). Un juez añade una nota separada señalando la falta de instrumentalidad y la improcedencia de una acción popular en la vía contenciosa.
Key excerptExtracto clave
“The first instance resolution is quite clear in indicating the structural characteristics and requirements of interim measures, and that the application for the measure suffers from the serious defect of failing to analyze the different elements, but rather reads more as a complaint before an administrative body about a series of factors at the Peñas Blancas customs office. The minimum a person must do to seek interim relief is to articulate all the requirements in an orderly manner, following the same framework that the judicial authority must review…” “…fumus bonis iuris is not established because the party does not provide the grounds to know on what basis the administrative act will be challenged—whether for procedural defects, formal or substantive requirements, or otherwise—simply no argumentative effort is made.” “As for serious harm, we repeat that although there is abundant documentation showing a series of requirements in the customs facilities, it never specifies what concrete, specific, and determined harm the applicant suffers from that situation.”«La resolución de primera instancia es bastante clara en indicar cuales son las características estructurales y los requisitos de las medidas cautelares, así como que el escrito de interposición de la medida cautelar presenta el grave defecto de no realizar un análisis de los diferentes aspectos sino que se realiza más como una gestión ante un dependencia de orden administrativo en la cual se queja de una serie de factores propio de la Aduana de Peñas Blancas. Lo mínimo que debe realizar una persona para concurrir a la justicia cautelar, es articular todos los requisitos de forma ordenada, en el mismo esquema que debe ser revisada por la autoridad judicial...» «...el fumus bonis iuris no se consolida en tanto la parte no aporta las bases para poder saber sobre cuales bases se va atacar el acto administrativo, si es sobre vicios en el procedimiento, requisitos formales, sustanciales o de otra índole, simplemente no se hace el esfuerzo argumentativo.» «En cuanto al daño grave, repetimos que si bien existe abundante documentación haciendo ver de una serie de requerimientos que presentan las instalaciones de la aduana, nunca se llega a señalar cual es la afectación concreta, especifica y determina de la promotora de la medida cautelar frente a esa situación en concreto.»
Pull quotesCitas destacadas
"Lo mínimo que debe realizar una persona para concurrir a la justicia cautelar, es articular todos los requisitos de forma ordenada, en el mismo esquema que debe ser revisada por la autoridad judicial."
"The minimum a person must do to seek interim relief is to articulate all the requirements in an orderly manner, following the same framework that the judicial authority must review."
Considerando V
"Lo mínimo que debe realizar una persona para concurrir a la justicia cautelar, es articular todos los requisitos de forma ordenada, en el mismo esquema que debe ser revisada por la autoridad judicial."
Considerando V
"El fumus bonis iuris no se consolida en tanto la parte no aporta las bases para poder saber sobre cuales bases se va atacar el acto administrativo, si es sobre vicios en el procedimiento, requisitos formales, sustanciales o de otra índole, simplemente no se hace el esfuerzo argumentativo."
"Fumus bonis iuris is not established because the party does not provide the grounds to know on what basis the administrative act will be challenged—whether for procedural defects, formal or substantive requirements, or otherwise—simply no argumentative effort is made."
Considerando V
"El fumus bonis iuris no se consolida en tanto la parte no aporta las bases para poder saber sobre cuales bases se va atacar el acto administrativo, si es sobre vicios en el procedimiento, requisitos formales, sustanciales o de otra índole, simplemente no se hace el esfuerzo argumentativo."
Considerando V
"Debido a la cuestión fáctica planteada en la gestión cautelar, el enfoque sigue la línea de una acción popular, dado que el espectro de tutela peticionado, no corresponde a una situación individual de la accionante."
"Due to the factual issue raised in the interim application, the approach follows the line of a popular action, since the scope of protection requested does not correspond to an individual situation of the applicant."
Nota del Juez Palacios García
"Debido a la cuestión fáctica planteada en la gestión cautelar, el enfoque sigue la línea de una acción popular, dado que el espectro de tutela peticionado, no corresponde a una situación individual de la accionante."
Nota del Juez Palacios García
Full documentDocumento completo
**FILE:** 19-006512-1027-CA **PROCEEDING:** ADVANCE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE (MEDIDA CAUTELAR ANTICIPADA) **MOVING PARTY:** Nombre17338 **DEFENDANT:** THE STATE (EL ESTADO) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **N°347-2020-II** **ADMINISTRATIVE AND CIVIL TAX APPEALS COURT OF THE SECOND JUDICIAL CIRCUIT OF SAN JOSÉ, SECOND SECTION,** at seven thirty hours on the second of July of two thousand twenty.- Appeal in precautionary measure (medida cautelar) proceedings, filed by Mrs. Nombre17338, against THE STATE (EL ESTADO).- **WHEREAS (RESULTANDO):** By means of the written submission dated September 27, 2019, the moving party filed a request for a pre-trial precautionary measure (medida cautelar ante causam), setting forth as the precautionary claim: "I hereby request, based on all of the foregoing, that the precautionary measure be granted, ordering the suspension of the effects of sanitary operating permit number 186-2019 of 31 (sic) September 26, 2019, issued by Doctor Nombre163962, in his capacity as Director of the Area Direction of (sic) Rectora de Salud La Cruz, Guanacaste, of the Ministry of Health, ..." (See electronic file).- The Trial Court, by means of an order issued at sixteen hours and twenty-nine minutes on September twenty-seven, two thousand nineteen, denied the provisionalísima precautionary measure (medida cautelar provisionalísima) and granted the defendant a three-day written hearing to pronounce on the requested precautionary measure. (See electronic file).- By virtue of resolution number 0543-2019-T issued at fourteen hours and thirty minutes on October twenty-one, two thousand nineteen, the Administrative and Civil Tax Court resolved: "The precautionary measure (medida cautelar) requested by Nombre17338 is declared WITHOUT MERIT (SIN LUGAR). The plaintiff is warned that if an ordinary complaint is filed, it must be done under this same judicial file number. Resolved without special ruling on costs. NOTIFY.-" (See electronic file).- In a timely and proper manner, the applicant filed an appeal, which was admitted (See electronic file).- By resolution issued at ten hours on the twenty-ninth of two thousand twenty, this Court, in consideration of the National Emergency situation decreed by the Executive Branch regarding the pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus, which has obligated administrative health authorities to implement a social distancing tactic to reduce the virus's transmissibility impact; and in accordance with the provisions of numerals: 39, 41 and 153 of the Political Constitution, Article 5, paragraph 3 of the Organic Law of the Judicial Branch, Articles 4, 219 and 226 of the General Law of Public Administration, circulars 52-2020 of March 20, 2020, and number 53-2020 issued by the Superior Council of the Judicial Branch, invited the parties to present grievances and arguments in writing. (See electronic file).- The parties have expressed their allegations in writing, without invoking the existence of any defect of nullity or defenselessness. (See electronic file).- Legal requirements have been observed in the proceedings, and no defects or omissions that could cause defenselessness to the parties or future nullities are noted.- This resolution is issued after prior deliberation and unanimously.
**CONSIDERING (CONSIDERANDO):** **I) ON THE BASIS OF THE APPEAL:** The appellant sets forth, in an articulation that is not very technical, disorderly, and quite confusing, that the resolution lacks adequate reasoning or foundation, but that she finds it hard to believe that, given the imminent damages to health and the environment, the damage that is perceptible at a glance cannot be appreciated. She adds that this would lead the citizenry and her to start investing millions of colones in tests to demonstrate the damage against health and the environment when the disaster is obvious. She suggests that the State itself is covering up and defending the acts of its officials in contradiction to the laws. Subsequently, she expands her written submission of arguments to point out that the situation occurring in September two thousand nineteen was not as worrying as it is now, especially regarding the use of masks. She references that through report CH-DARS-LC-R -142-2019 issued in La Cruz, on September seventeenth, two thousand nineteen, officials Nombre163963 and Nombre163964, both from the same direction of the Ministry of Health, in their capacity as inspectors, recommended in their note addressed to Nombre8672. Nombre163962, noting that the personnel working on the platform are not wearing personal protective equipment (EPP), adding that the equipment exists but is not used (Masks, helmets, vests, face coverings). She maintains that they recorded a video where, despite COVID 19, the officials have not been provided with even masks. She adds that the environmental regent (regente ambiental), Mr. Nombre163965, appeared at said Customs office, where he noticed that there is no use of masks or disinfectants. She adds that there are not even restrooms at the site, so they were relieving themselves on the lots. Despite this, the sanitary permit was granted in just twenty-four hours. She requests an inspection be carried out in the area to verify her statement. She then proceeds to transcribe parts of the original precautionary measure (medida cautelar), where she highlights the risks and sanitary deficiencies presented by the customs office. She indicates that the substantive resolution of this matter concerns health, the environment, work, and human rights. Alleging that it is necessary to prove the damage is not correct, as the damage is intangible. She protests that the sanitary permit was granted in just one day, when there were several sanitary orders that had to be complied with and had not been fulfilled. She requests that the rights of the citizens of La Cruz, Guanacaste, who do not have economic resources, be protected. She requests that the ruling be overturned.
**II) ON THE DEFENDANT:** The state representation points out that the plaintiff's motion lacks motivation regarding the merits of the matter. Although the plaintiff says there is a lack of reasoning, she never clarifies in which aspects this lack exists. The contested resolution 0543-2019 T is clear in stating that there is no description of the serious damages and losses that warrant adopting the measure, nor are they glimpsed in her submission. As observed in the precautionary complaint, the assumptions of articles twenty-one and twenty-two of the Contentious Administrative Procedure Code were not addressed, nor is any specific reference made to them, a situation which persists in this instance. This results in a motion lacking foundation, thus failing the procedural burden incumbent upon the plaintiff, as the contested resolution notes, and for that reason, the petition is denied. In addition to the foregoing, the filed appeal also does not specify the damages that the sanitary permit granted by the Ministry of Health, Área rectora de la Cruz, Guanacaste, directly and individually causes or would cause the plaintiff. By reason of the foregoing, I request that the appealed resolution be upheld. Subsequently, she added the following: "The plaintiff indicates that she has not claimed damages, but rather what is being sued for is the lack of attention to the rights to health, the environment, and work, which she considers her grievances. The appellant continues stating that there are no safety measures for COVID 19, therefore, she reiterates the need to deny the sanitary permit that was granted in its time in favor of the State Phytosanitary Service, since she considers that there is insecurity and risk for health, people, and even animals. Finally, the plaintiff considers that the A Quo makes a poor assessment of the principles of the precautionary measure (medida cautelar).// The plaintiff's arguments are not acceptable, since in the first place, she incorporates new elements related to the COVID-19 emergency, which were not contemplated in the initial complaint, therefore, their proposition in this appellate phase is not acceptable. // Likewise, for this representation, it is obvious that the plaintiff falls into the same error again of not addressing the specific study of the elements required to grant a precautionary measure (medida cautelar), according to Articles 21 and 22 of the Contentious Administrative Procedure Code, nor does she specify how they apply to her specific case. // The serious damages and losses... that the permit granted by the Área de Salud de La Cruz, Guanacaste, directly causes her are still not clear, but only mention is made of supposed damages to third persons, in health and the environment, thus failing regarding the danger in delay (peligro en la mora). // Nor are legal reasonings observed that ground her action, whereby the appearance of good law (apariencia de buen derecho) would be devoid of content. This coupled with the fact that the interest of a private individual must be weighed against the public interests and those of other third parties, all of which makes this precautionary measure (medida cautelar) unviable.// Let us remember that these three elements must concur, which does not occur, as declared by judgment 0543-2019 T of October 21, 2019." **III) ON THE REASONING OF THE RESOLUTION SUBJECT TO APPEAL:** Resolution number 0543-2019-T issued at fourteen hours and thirty minutes on October twenty-one, two thousand nineteen, by the Administrative and Civil Tax Court, basis for the conflict, establishes as its reasoning: "Based on the foregoing, the resolution of this precautionary proceeding requires the specific study of the elements required by Articles 21 and 22 of the Contentious Administrative Procedure Code, according to the arguments of both parties and the evidentiary elements provided to the file, however, in this specific case it is not possible to conduct an analysis in that sense, because the precautionary complaint did not address said assumptions nor is a specific and detailed reference made to them for the specific case. The plaintiff limits herself to citing, in her legal grounds, a resolution apparently issued by the Second Section of this Court, and to mentioning the Contentious Administrative Procedure Code, the General Law of Public Administration, and the Political Constitution, without setting forth the factual and legal basis of the admissibility requirements for the precautionary measure (medida cautelar), that is, that the claim is not lacking in seriousness, the existence of serious damage to the alleged legal situation, and the weighing of the interests involved. That is, the motion is absolutely lacking in reasoning, which is a procedural burden of the plaintiffs, whom this Court is not called upon to substitute. The presentation of the theory of the case and the provision of the corresponding evidentiary elements is a fundamental obligation of the parties, which is precisely the starting point for the analysis of the admissibility of the filed complaint, so that in its absence, there is no alternative but to deny what is requested without the need for further study, as is hereby done. Additionally, it must be indicated that the plaintiff sets forth in her complaint a series of arguments about the reasons for her disagreement with the granting of the sanitary permit in favor of the State Phytosanitary Service, without proceeding to set forth the legal reasonings that ground her action and which, in turn, would correspond to the appearance of good law (apariencia de buen derecho). On the other hand, she makes no mention whatsoever of the damages that the granted permit directly and individually causes or will cause her, accompanying her argumentation with the corresponding evidentiary material. Given that the documentary evidence of images 2 to 123 and 153 to 249 of the judicial file, correspond to various documentation related to the problems of the building in question and the actions taken by the involved institutions, from which, the existence of serious damage against the plaintiff cannot be proven. For the reasons indicated, the requested precautionary measure (medida cautelar) is declared without merit. Resolved without special ruling on costs." (see electronic file).
**IV) ON THE EVIDENCE FOR BETTER RESOLUTION OFFERED:** The appellant requested as evidence for better resolution (prueba para mejor resolver) the conducting of a judicial inspection (reconocimiento judicial) at the site underlying the conflict in order to verify the absence of those aspects regarding health and hygiene that she indicates are absent, which must be categorically rejected. The precautionary measure (medida cautelar) is developed under the concept of sumaria cognitio and the logic is that the evidence must be provided with the precautionary measure; conducting evidence such as that requested by the interested party would convert the precautionary proceeding into one of full knowledge, which is legally improper. It is the interested party who must demonstrate reliable indicia of what she intends to prove, so that the jurisdictional body can form an idea of what occurred. This leads, as a corollary, to the fact that the accessible evidence is that which is typical of a more superficial verification. It is not, as the party states, a matter of large economic investments, or that justice is only for people with economic capacity, but rather that within the reasonably accessible evidentiary elements, the due effort must be made. Consequently, the offered evidence is rejected.
**V) ON THE MERITS OF THE MATTER:** The first-instance resolution is quite clear in indicating the structural characteristics and the requirements for precautionary measures (medidas cautelares), as well as the fact that the filing brief for the precautionary measure presents the serious defect of not conducting an analysis of the different aspects but instead is carried out more like a motion before an administrative office in which complaints are made about a series of factors characteristic of the Peñas Blancas Customs Office. The minimum that a person must do to appear in precautionary justice is to articulate all requirements in an orderly manner, in the same scheme that must be reviewed by the judicial authority, which, incidentally, is adequately developed within the resolution with which the plaintiff does not agree. In the filing of the measure, it is noted that the plaintiff appears in a personal capacity, but it is not possible to locate any aspect that legitimizes her to bring this action, as it is not even clear what this lady's link is with the customs office; it is presumed from the quantity of documentation provided that she is a public official at that office, but that is no more than mere speculation; she could well be a user, neighbor, or simply have no link whatsoever. Within her articulation of allegations, it is suggested that the impact is collective for all officials and users of that service, but she does not present any convincing element that suggests she represents a specific community. A reference is made to all the deficiencies in the buildings that, in the applicant's judgment, would justify the rejection of the health permit, which would be oriented towards a defect in the reasoning of the act, but a structured and reasoned articulation in that sense is also not established. The deficiencies in the buildings would suggest difficulties in providing the service, which the plaintiff in her appeal relates to damage, but the reasoning is quite insufficient to consider that the requirement of serious damage is configured in this case; and as if this were not enough, the analysis of the weighing of interests or the structural characteristics of the precautionary measure (medida cautelar) is never conducted. In general, the trial judge (juez a quo) is correct in pointing out that it is not possible to conduct the analysis that corresponds to the first instance. It should be remembered on this point that the contentious administrative jurisdiction, although not formalistic, is a technical instance where it is up to the parties to present the information in the terms and conditions that the legal system demands, and not to expect the Trial Court to have to search within the entire document and the different convincing elements provided for the requirements that the system establishes. Much less that it is the first-instance judge who must construct or reconstruct the party's theory of the case, from which she would then go on to establish under what conditions or orientation the full knowledge complaint will be raised. Accepting that thesis is to maintain that the judge left her role of impartiality to become the lawyer for one of the parties, almost advising her on how to orient her complaint so that it presents possibilities of success. From that perspective, it is sufficient grounds for the outright rejection of the appeal before us, just as it was ample grounds for the trial court to reject the precautionary measure (medida cautelar) at the time, but in exercise of effective judicial protection, we proceed to analyze the arguments indicated in the appeal. Although the party invokes a resolution from this jurisdiction, the truth is that elements are not being provided to determine if the situation known in that particular case is similar or not to what is now before us. It is even a first-instance resolution, where it is unknown whether it is endorsed or not by the First Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice (to generate jurisprudence), whether it is an isolated ruling or a consolidated position. Under these conditions, it is not possible to maintain that this precedent presents any similarity with the case now being ventilated. The supporting arguments do not allow a parallel to be drawn between the two cases as the applicant intends. The party protests that the resolution suggests that the claim of the precautionary measure (medida cautelar) lacks seriousness, which she does not share, as what is being requested is the suspension of an administrative action and it is to be supposed that a possible full knowledge proceeding would concern the nullity of said act, but there are two issues to clarify in this regard. What the first-instance judge establishes is that the appearance of good law (fumus bonis iuris) is not configured as it does not present the due seriousness, not the claim of the precautionary measure itself; and in this case, the fumus bonis iuris is not consolidated as the party does not provide the bases to know on what grounds the administrative act will be attacked, whether on defects in the procedure, formal requirements, substantive requirements, or of another nature, the argumentative effort is simply not made. The only thing mentioned is possible defects in the motive (vicios en el motivo) but without even providing the respective explanation. After that, in a circular manner, the party limits herself to pointing out over and over again that there exists a series of unsanitary conditions for working or providing a public service in the customs office, and that on that basis, it is not possible for the Ministry of Health to have granted the operating permit, especially when it only took twenty-four hours. It is due to this incontrovertible situation that it is not possible to locate the first requirement for precautionary measures in contentious administrative proceedings, which is the appearance of good law (apariencia de buen derecho), not because the precautionary claim lacks seriousness, but because the reasoning of the theory of the case is not explained, which prevents the complaint – as a whole – from having the minimum level of seriousness. Following this, a reflection is made on the sanitary conditions in relation to the current situation of the coronavirus or COVID 19 health crisis facing the country. In this regard, the Court must be emphatic in pointing out that nothing was invoked on this particular matter in the first instance, and it is precluded to come on appeal to seek a resolution based on an issue that has not first been considered by the a quo. The Court is empowered to review what was resolved both for its legality and its grounds, but always regarding what was petitioned, based on the invoked bases and grounds, and having as a guide the originally offered evidence. It is not a space to present novel arguments, to catch the opposing party off guard, or in general to attempt to innovate. If the promotor of the proceeding considers that circumstances have changed, she must manage this through the path and means that the legal system establishes, and not seek for a matter that, by legal guarantee, has a double instance, to be resolved in a single instance. For this reason, this jurisdictional body omits making any additional consideration regarding the national health crisis situation in the party's invocations so that it may be resolved in favor of her request, and for that reason, this grievance must also be rejected. Regarding serious damage, we repeat that although there is abundant documentation indicating a series of requirements presented by the customs office facilities, the specific, particular, and determined impact on the promotor of the precautionary measure (medida cautelar) in light of that specific situation is never pointed out. It cannot be forgotten that there is documentation from a couple of years back, including an amparo appeal (recurso de amparo) and an order from the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice regarding some modifications that must be made to the infrastructure. To date, it is not specified what of that has been fulfilled and which aspects are missing, and if the order has not been fully complied with, it is not explained whether the party has appeared before the constitutional court to manage the contempt that is occurring regarding what was ordered. There is much documentation in the file, but it is poorly articulated, disorderly, and unclear for resolving the measure now before us. It is not, as the applicant states, that she must invest millions of colones to obtain the necessary evidence to prove her statement, but she must provide reasonable elements that allow deriving the existence of a specific and individualizable damage that empowers the now appellant to appear in this jurisdiction. In this regard, this Chamber must make a clarification: this effort to provide not only clear indicia but solid evidence in a specific sense is not that it should not be done, but rather that it corresponds to the full knowledge proceeding and not to this procedural moment. It must be warned that in the contentious administrative jurisdiction, unlike others such as labor, there is no presumption in favor of the plaintiff such that the burden of proof is inverted in the terms that the appealing party reasons; indeed, it will not be in the precautionary measure (medida cautelar) where the greater complete evidentiary effort must be made, but she is effectively obligated to fully prove her statement if she intends to be successful in the full knowledge proceeding. The principle of gratuity that covers constitutional justice or the administrative route does not apply in this type of proceeding. This clarification made, returning to the issue of the measure itself, the court must emphasize that the minimum evidence that would allow serious damage to be considered proven is not present in this file, which is why the first-instance judge denied that requirement, a decision shared by this appellate court. The party also maintains that the damage is obvious, but what is manifest are the defects in the structure in which the service is provided, without the serious damage, which, incidentally, is not even argued in an orderly manner, being able to be extracted as a natural consequence of that. Regarding the criticism leveled at the Ministry of Health for authorizing operation despite the negative criteria of two employees of that office, we again reiterate that it is not possible to deduce from what was provided that the original situation detected by the public officials years ago persists to this date. Simply, the party expects that, based on her statement, the facts must be taken as true, which is not possible as the evidentiary burden corresponds to the affirming party, who merely provides much documentation on the subject, without a strict order or much less explaining what she intends to prove with each document. Finally, regarding the interests at stake, lacking clarity on the danger in delay (peligro en la demora), it is not possible to carry out the exercise of weighing the interests at stake. This Court cannot fail to mention that doubts also exist regarding the structural requirements, especially with respect to urgency, because if the situation has been ongoing for two years, it is not possible to locate the reason why the urgency necessary to access the requested precautionary measure (medida cautelar) now arises. Having exhausted the subjects of argument, it is appropriate to reject the appeal before us and confirm the resolution that came on appeal.
**VI) ON COSTS:** Although the a quo makes an ex officio pronouncement regarding costs, this Chamber takes the liberty of recalling that Canon One Hundred Ninety-Three of the Contentious Administrative Procedure Code only allows a pronouncement in this regard in cases of judgments and orders equivalent to a judgment (autos con carácter de sentencia) (this latter nomenclature was eliminated from the Civil Procedure Code), but the resolution that addresses the precautionary measure (medida cautelar) corresponds to an order (auto), for which reason no pronouncement in this regard is appropriate. An aspect to which the attention of the Trial Court is called.
**VII) NOTE BY JUDGE PALACIOS GARCÍA.** I concur with my colleagues in dismissing the appeal, however, for separate reasons. Due to the factual matter raised in the precautionary proceeding, the approach follows the line of a popular action, given that the spectrum of protection requested does not correspond to an individual situation of the plaintiff. However, the level of abstraction also does not allow identifying the thesis of collective, trade union, corporate, or diffuse interests. This highlights the broad nature of the topic the interested party seeks to cover, without adequate clarity, falling into the inadmissible premise of Article 10.1.d CPCA. Given the highly imprecise level of what was raised, the route the interested party could take, and the most similar to a popular action, would be constitutional amparo. However, in the contentious administrative venue, precautionary matters privilege the determinable legal situation, against which it is sought to temporarily prevent the occurrence of serious damages. The foregoing is so whether it concerns collective, trade union, corporate, or diffuse interests, as already mentioned. That is why I observe a problem of instrumentality, which affects the appearance of right (apariencia derecho), and consequently, the analysis of the damage and the weighing of interests becomes inert.
**THEREFORE (POR TANTO):** As to the subject of the appeal, it is declared without merit and the resolution that came on appeal is confirmed. Judge Palacios García provides separate reasons. Let the Trial Court take note of what is indicated in the considering part. The case records are returned to the office of origin. NOTIFY. Otto González Vilchez, Alner Palacios García and Ricardo Madrigal Jiménez. Judges.
JIMÉNEZ - DECISION-MAKING JUDGE *GKDSUEIQRLG * GKDSUEIQRLG61 ALNER PALACIOS GARCÍA - *NABBLORCC* DECISION-MAKING JUDGE OTTO GONZÁLEZ VILCHEZ - DECISION-MAKING JUDGE It is a faithful copy of the original - Taken from Nexus.PJ on: 09-05-2026 00:17:47.
Tribunal de Apelación Contencioso Administrativo y Civil de Hacienda Clase de asunto: Medida cautelar Analizado por: CENTRO DE INFORMACIÓN JURISPRUDENCIAL Tipo de contenido: Voto de mayoría Temas (descriptores): Medidas cautelares en el proceso contencioso administrativo Subtemas: Generalidades sobre los presupuestos necesarios para el otorgamiento de medidas cautelares.
Sentencia con nota separada Sentencias en igual sentido Sentencias del mismo expediente PROCESO: MEDIDA CAUTELAR ANTICIPADA PROMOVENTE: Nombre17338 DEMANDADO: EL ESTADO ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- N°347-2020-II TRIBUNAL DE APELACIONES DE LO CONTENCIOSO ADMINISTRATIVO Y CIVIL DE HACIENDA DEL SEGUNDO CIRCUITO JUDICIAL DE SAN JOSÉ, SECCIÓN SEGUNDA, al ser las siete horas y treinta minutos del dos de julio de dos mil veinte.- Recurso de apelación en medida cautelar, interpuesta por la señora Nombre17338 , en contra EL ESTADO.-
RESULTANDO:
Mediante el escrito fechado 27 de setiembre del 2019, la promovente formuló solicitud de medida cautelar ante causam, planteando como pretensión cautelar "Solicito por todo lo anterior, acoger la medida cautelar, ordenando suspender los efectos del permiso sanitario de funcionamiento número 186-2019 de 31 (sic) 26 de setiembre del 2019, emitido por el Doctor Nombre163962 , en su calidad de Director de la Dirección Área de (sic) Rectora de Salud La Cruz, Guanacaste, del Ministerio de Salud, ..." (Ver expediente electrónico).- El Tribunal de primera instancia, por medio auto de las dieciséis horas con veintinueve minutos del veintisiete de septiembre de dos mil diecinueve, denegó la medida cautelar provisionalísima y concedió al demandado, audiencia escrita por tres días para que se pronunciara respecto de la medida cautelar pedida. ( (Ver expediente electrónico).- En virtud de resolución número 0543-2019-T de las catorce horas y treinta minutos del día veintiuno de octubre de dos mil diecinueve, el Tribunal de lo Contencioso Administrativo y civil de Hacienda resolvió "Se declara SIN LUGAR la medida cautelar solicitada por Nombre17338 . Se previene a la parte actora que de presentar demanda ordinaria, deberá hacerlo bajo este mismo número de expediente judicial. Se resuelve sin especial condena en costas. NOTIFÍQUESE.-" (Ver expediente electrónico).- En tiempo y forma el gestionante presentó recurso de apelación, el que fuera admitido (Ver expediente electrónico).- Por resolución de las diez horas del veintinueve de dos mil veinte, este Tribunal en consideración a la situación de Emergencia Nacional decretada por el Poder Ejecutivo respecto a la pandemia provocada por el virus COVID-19, que ha obligado a las autoridades administrativas de salud, a implementar una táctica de distanciamiento social, para reducir el impacto de transmisibilidad del virus; y de conformidad con lo dispuesto en los numerales: 39, 41 y 153 de la Constitución Política, 5 párrafo 3 de la Ley Orgánica del Poder Judicial, 4, 219 y 226 de la Ley General de La Administración Pública, circulares 52-2020 del 20 de marzo del 2020 y la número 53-2020 dictada por el Consejo Superior del Poder Judicial, invitó a las partes a que expusieran agravios y argumentos de forma escrita. (Ver expediente electrónico).- Las partes han expresado sus alegatos de forma escrita, sin invocar la existencia de vicio de nulidad o indefensión alguna. (Ver expediente electrónico).- En los procedimientos se han observado las prescripciones de ley, y no se notan vicios u omisiones que puedan causar indefensión a las partes o nulidades futuras.- Se dicta la presente resolución previa deliberación y por unanimidad.
CONSIDERANDO:
POR TANTO
En lo que es objeto de recurso se declara sin lugar y se confirma la resolución venida en alzada. El juez Palacios García da razones separadas. Tome nota el Tribunal de instancia de lo indicado en la parte considerativa. Vuelvan los autos a la oficina de origen. NOTIFÍQUESE. Otto González Vilchez, Alner Palacios García y Ricardo Madrigal Jiménez. Jueces.
*RIRJKQE * Nombre163838 .
JIMÉNEZ - JUEZ/A DECISOR/A *GKDSUEIQRLG * GKDSUEIQRLG61 ALNER PALACIOS GARCÍA - *NABBLORCC* JUEZ/A DECISOR/A OTTO GONZÁLEZ VILCHEZ - JUEZ/A DECISOR/A
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