take action

The idea in the phrase is to "put your hand to" something, so using "touching" is closer to the intended meaning

Spanish term (edited): [sin] meter mano a la justicia

Or: 'without the judiciary in the picture'
'without any involvement on the part of the judiciary'

The first use of meter mano in the excerpt might be better translated as "the only judicial organ on which he/it did not put pressure..." but I think this second use is better translated as intervening in the justice system. If the author were critical, it would be "interfering in the justice system" but he or she seems to be advocating intervention (presumably to stop judges applying those measures that were forbidden in the Constitution? or to require a change in the Constitution?)

I propose that "justice" is NOT the correct term here. In vulgar spoken Spanish, "la justicia" is commonly used to refer to the legal sphere in general and aspects thereof.
My take on the "meter mano" is that it refers to negative interpretation or influencing (inteference) of legal processes.

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Note added at 1 hr (2011-02-17 18:20:15 GMT)
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Scuse typo, that's "interference"...


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Note added at 1 hr (2011-02-17 19:15:07 GMT)
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O sea, que se esta saltando la ley (nº 5 citado) extraoficialmente en algunos casos, es como lo entiendo. Que el Poder Judicial Consituyente "está aplicando disposiciones ...aunque el artículo once, numeral cinco de la Constitución ordena a los jueces no aplicarlas".

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Note added at 1 hr (2011-02-17 19:15:57 GMT)
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Or even "riding roughshod over the judicial processes"...

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Note added at 2 hrs (2011-02-17 19:17:24 GMT)
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To ride roughshod over something/somebody = to act in the way you want to, ignoring rules, traditions, or other people's wishes They accused the government of riding roughshod over parliamentary procedure....

Spanish term (edited): (sin que oficialmente y por referendum) se le meta mano a la justicia

The Oxford Spanish dictionary has the following definition:

meterle mano a algo (familiar) to get to work on something

I had to translate the whole passage to get my head around the use of this term in your text, so thought I’d explain my understanding of that usage by way of posting my efforts.

Here goes:

“Sin irnos tan lejos a lo va a ocurrir en el futuro, el asunto de la Constitución de Montecristi tiene ya veintiocho meses de aplicación y sin embargo, el Poder Judicial al que no metió mano, la Constituyente, está aplicando disposiciones del Código Penal sobre sabotaje, terrorismo y desacato, aunque el artículo once, numeral cinco de la Constitución ordena a los jueces no aplicarlas. O sea, si eso ya está ocurriendo, sin que oficialmente y por referéndum se le meta mano a la justicia ¿cuál es, entonces, el panorama que tenemos?”

“Without venturing too far into the future, at present, the Constitution of Montecristi has been implemented some 28 months, but because the Constituent Assembly has done nothing to prevent it, the Judiciary is [still] implementing provisions of the Penal Code on sabotage, terrorism and contempt, even though Article 11.5 of the Constitution instructs judges not to apply such provisions. So, if this is already taking place, and the official rule of law does not apply to the Judiciary — just what is the position/outlook here?”

My take, hope it helps.


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Note added at 5 hrs (2011-02-17 23:03:29 GMT)
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The "official rule of law", of course, being the Constitution.

Judicial deference comes to mind. I think here that "justicia" is another way of refering to the poder judicial.

Good luck