Precautionary measures are instruments used by the legal order to protect rights that are being violated within a proceeding. The aim of Law 1437 of 2011 was therefore to strengthen the powers of judges in order to achieve this protection, insofar as in the contentious administrative jurisdiction, the only possible measure had been to provisionally suspend the effects of an administrative act. This was not only insufficient but difficult to apply because of the rigor of its requirements. That was why the above-mentioned norm not only included new precautionary measures but also made the existing requirements more flexible to facilitate their application. Because precautionary measures in the contentious administrative jurisdiction are a new phenomenon, and in accordance with the new administrative procedural norm that became effective on July 2, 2012, there is a need for clarification about its functioning, applicability in the diverse control measures and real application, in order to determine whether it provides guarantees of adequate fulfillment of rulings.