Institutions
Office of Courts Administration
Assists the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice in administering the court system. It handles resources, budgets, procedures, and support services; it is not a forum for appealing judgments.
Art. 2.016 ↗General responsibilities ↗ · Sources consulted:Oficina de Administración de los Tribunales · Office of Courts Administration
Spanish legal name: Oficina de Administración de los Tribunales. Spanish legal names are retained. Some English names are functional translations.
- Government level
- State-level
- Branch or grouping
- Judicial
- Type
- Office
- Sources consulted
- Oct 18, 2026
What it does
- Develops a uniform administrative system and facilitates staff, facilities, and funding for court operations. Administration supports judicial work; it does not determine litigation outcomes.Uniform Administrative System; Resource Facilitation ↗ · Sources consulted:
- Requests and justifies funding for the system and assesses how legislation affects its operations. This differs from enacting laws or independently appropriating all public funds.Budget Management; Legislative Assessment ↗ · Sources consulted:
- Maintains information systems for public information, planning, and evaluation of judicial and administrative activity. It also recommends operational improvements and judicial assignments to the Chief Justice.Information Systems; Recommendations and Improvements ↗ · Sources consulted:
- Investigates misconduct involving judicial personnel, including judges outside the Supreme Court, under its official responsibilities. Investigating an administrative complaint and deciding a judicial appeal are different processes.Misconduct Investigations ↗ · Sources consulted:
In everyday life
Someone locating a court division or support service can use the judicial directory. OAT helps maintain the administrative system supporting those services. If the person disagrees with a judge’s decision, that information request must be distinguished from the appropriate judicial proceeding: administrative personnel cannot replace adjudication of the case.Uniform Administrative System; Resource Facilitation ↗Art. 4.006 ↗ · Sources consulted:
How to distinguish it from other institutions
The Supreme Court adopts administrative rules; its Chief Justice directs the system; the Administrative Director and OAT help carry out that task. These are linked responsibilities, not three different levels of court.Art. V, sec. 7 ↗Arts. 2.012, 2.016 ↗ · Sources consulted:
A request about operations or administrative resources differs from challenging a judgment. Decisions are reviewed through the applicable judicial proceedings, not by asking OAT to change the ruling.Arts. 2.016, 3.002, 4.006 ↗Art. 4.006 ↗ · Sources consulted:
Official services and information
Confirm requirements, forms, and schedules on the linked official portal.
Where it fits
- Director appointed by the Chief Justice of: Supreme Court of Puerto Rico Art. V, sec. 7 ↗Art. 2.016 ↗ · Sources consulted:
- Supports administration of: Court of Appeals Resource Facilitation; Uniform Administrative System ↗Art. 2.016 ↗ · Sources consulted:
- Supports administration of: Court of First Instance Resource Facilitation; Uniform Administrative System ↗Art. 2.016 ↗ · Sources consulted:
Map groupings support navigation; they do not themselves establish reporting authority.
Leadership & appointments
Administrative Director of the Courts
The Chief Justice appoints the Administrative Director, who must be a lawyer and serves at the Chief Justice’s discretion. This is not a gubernatorial appointment subject to Senate confirmation. The official site identifies Sigfrido Steidel Figueroa as Director; assistant directors are designated with the Chief Justice’s approval.Art. 2.016 ↗Administrative Director ↗ · Sources consulted:
Sigfrido Steidel Figueroa
Sources consulted: Oct 18, 2026 · Sources & method ↓
- Appointment
- Verification pending
- Confirmation
- Verification pending
- Term end
- Verification pending
Governance & composition
It has no corporate board. The institutional page separately identifies the Judicial Advisory Council, comprising administrative judges from Appeals and trial-court regions. That council advises; it does not replace the Chief Justice or make OAT an appellate court.Judicial Advisory Council ↗Art. 2.016 ↗ · Sources consulted:
Sources consulted: Oct 18, 2026
Sources & method
The consultation date is not the institution’s own update date.
- Constitución de Puerto Rico — Artículo V (Poder Judicial) ↗https://poderjudicial.pr/constitucion/articulo-v/Sources consulted: Oct 18, 2026
- Poder Judicial — Oficina de Administración de los Tribunales ↗https://poderjudicial.pr/oficina-administracion-de-los-tribunales/Sources consulted: Oct 18, 2026
- https://poderjudicial.pr/constitucion/ ↗https://poderjudicial.pr/constitucion/Sources consulted: Oct 17, 2026
- Ley 201-2003 — Ley de la Judicatura (compilación OGP) ↗https://bvirtualogp.pr.gov/ogp/Bvirtual/LeyesOrganicas/Pages/201-2003.pdfSources consulted: Oct 18, 2026 · Document revised: May 21, 2026
- Poder Judicial — Directorio ↗https://poderjudicial.pr/directorio-del-poder-judicial/Sources consulted: Oct 18, 2026