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Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the significance and necessity of adequate management tools to face dynamic complexity. In particular, the paper shows the importance of model-based support for designing public systems defined through laws. This is illustrated by means of an example: the new reform of the Colombian criminal justice system. Design/methodology/approach - Literature review of model-based reasoning and justice systems. Illustration with a case study: reform of the Colombian criminal process. Findings - Human reasoning can be characterized as a model-based activity, which in turn can be improved by constructing and using diverse models. The support of dynamic models for designing law-defined public systems represents an open field of research. Specific relevance and conceptualization for criminal justice systems are developed. Originality/value - To introduce the significance of the contribution of computer simulation modeling for supporting system design and lawmaking processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]