---
titulo: "Judicial Circuits of Panama: Districts, Circuits and Competence"
titulo_seo: "Judicial Circuits of Panama: Districts and Courts"
meta: "Panama's Judicial Code splits the country into four judicial districts, circuits and municipalities. Which court hears your case, and how competence works."
autor: "Diego Ospina Serna"
fecha: 2026-07-07
actualizado: 2026-07-07
materia: "Procedural Law"
idioma: "en"
par: "circuitos-judiciales-de-panama"
resumen: "A guide to Panama's territorial judicial organization under the Judicial Code (articles 65 to 68): the four Judicial Districts, the Judicial Circuits and the Judicial Municipalities, what a judicial circuit is, and the difference between jurisdiction and competence."
tags: ["Judiciary", "Judicial Organization"]
orden: 20260707
faq:
  - q: "How many judicial districts are there in Panama?"
    a: "Four, under article 66 of the Judicial Code."
  - q: "Is a judicial circuit the same as an electoral circuit?"
    a: "No: the judicial circuit delimits court competence; the electoral one, the election of deputies."
  - q: "How do I know which court is competent for my case?"
    a: "It depends on the subject matter, amount and territory. At iurispa we determine it before filing anything."
fuentes:
  - nombre: "Judicial Code, Book One, articles 65 to 68 and related"
  - nombre: "Judiciary of Panama"
    url: "https://iurispa.com/instituciones/organo-judicial/"
---

Knowing which court hears a matter starts with understanding how the territory is divided for judicial purposes. The **Judicial Code** organizes the country into three descending levels, over which the competence of judges is distributed. This guide explains it.

> Informational guide. The territorial organization is set by the Judicial Code (Book One, "Judicial Organization", articles 65 to 68).

## Three levels: districts, circuits and judicial municipalities

Article 65 of the Judicial Code divides the territory, for jurisdictional purposes, into:

```nomnoml
[Judicial District] -> [Judicial Circuit]
[Judicial Circuit] -> [Judicial Municipality]
```

- **Four Judicial Districts** (article 66):
 - **First:** Panama, Colón, Darién and the Guna Yala Comarca. Seat of the Superior Court: **Panama City**.
 - **Second:** Coclé and Veraguas. Seat: **Penonomé**.
 - **Third:** Chiriquí and Bocas del Toro. Seat: **David**.
 - **Fourth:** Herrera and Los Santos. Seat: **Las Tablas**.
- Each district is divided into **Judicial Circuits**, and these into **Judicial Municipalities**, matching the country's political-administrative division (article 67).

*Note: article 66 keeps its historical wording; the later creation of the province of Panamá Oeste (Law 119 of 2013) did not alter that text, and the Judiciary has adjusted the operational distribution of courts administratively.*

## What is a judicial circuit?

It is the **intermediate territorial demarcation** within a Judicial District that sets the spatial scope of competence of the **Circuit Courts** (first instance for larger claims and certain matters) and of the **Superior Courts** on appeal. In practice, each province generally constitutes a Judicial Circuit (Circuit of Panama, Circuit of Chiriquí…), organized into branches: Civil, Criminal, Family and others. Maritime jurisdiction is an exception: it has exclusive nationwide competence.

## Jurisdiction and competence: not the same

This is the distinction that confuses most and matters most:

- **Jurisdiction** is the State's generic power (exercised by the Judiciary) to administer justice. It is **one and indivisible**; every judge holds it.
- **Competence** is the **measure or limit** within which each judge exercises that jurisdiction. It is distributed by **subject matter**, **amount in controversy**, **territory** (where circuits and municipalities operate) and **degree/function** (first instance, appeal, cassation).

The rule to remember: **every judge has jurisdiction, but is only competent for certain matters.** Filing before a judge who lacks competence over the territory, subject matter or amount can cost time and a nullity.

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**Relacionado:** [[suing-the-state-in-panama-patrimonial-liability-2026|Suing the State in Panama: patrimonial liability]]