Concern raised about independence of military court in Paraguay

According to this report, concerns have been raised in Paraguay over the independence of the Supreme Court of Military Justice (SUCORJUMIL) because it is composed mostly of combat arms officers. Most recently, a legally-qualified officer joined the court, but he was originally an infantry officer. The new judge, Col. Emiliano Ramos Rojas, replaces Col. Maria Felicia Morínigo, who took office only last January. From the article:

Lawyers argue that the majority of fighters at the top of the military courts have less independence of military judges because there will be greater involvement on the part of the military chiefs. This would occur because combatant officers are more likely to respond to armed forces commanders as a matter of respect for the hierarchy.

In fact, complaints often arise in some corruption cases in the military courts about alleged interference by military leaders. [Rough Google translation.]

For an earlier post about judicial independence in Paraguayan military justice click here.