Amparo Ruling: Rejected challenge to Lisa’s representation – Villamorey

On March 7, 2025, the First Civil and Commercial Appeals Chamber, acting as an Amparo Tribunal, rejected a constitutional amparo filed by Villamorey, S.A. against the Eighth Multi-Judge Civil Court of First Instance. Villamorey challenged the court’s decision to accept Lisa, S.A.’s legal representation in an ongoing extinctive prescription lawsuit, arguing that Lisa’s mandate was notarized by a Guatemalan notary who lacked authority to validate documents governed by Panamanian law.

The court held that Lisa’s mandate had been duly executed and registered in Guatemala’s judicial archives, and that any doubts regarding its validity should be resolved through a nullity action, not via amparo. The tribunal emphasized that amparo is not a substitute for ordinary legal remedies. As a result, it denied the request, ordered Villamorey to pay court costs, and imposed a Q1,000 fine on its attorney, Elías José Arriaza Sáenz, for misusing the amparo process.