Newly Implemented Mexican Judicial Reforms Spark Debate

September 16, 2024 TruthUSA

The government claims that electing judges will help reduce corruption, but critics are concerned that it may lead to the establishment of a judiciary similar to that of Venezuela, where decisions of the ruling party go unchallenged.

Mexico’s controversial judicial reforms, which will put 7,000 judges up for popular vote, have been officially implemented after President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador signed the constitutional amendments on Sunday.

The reforms, supported by outgoing President López Obrador, saw resistance from those who feared that they could disrupt the balance of power within Mexico’s legal system.

López Obrador signed the decree modifying the constitution while sitting alongside his successor, Claudia Sheinbaum, in a video posted on social media.

He believes that the reforms will lead to a fairer and more transparent judiciary, countering the prevalent corruption often associated with Mexico’s powerful drug cartels.

Speaking at a press conference on Sept. 11, López Obrador emphasized the importance of ending corruption and impunity, asserting Mexico’s commitment to setting an example for the world.

The reform was approved by the Congress, where the ruling Morena Party holds the majority, as well as by state legislatures earlier this month.

Last week, the Mexican Senate passed the reforms with an 86-41 vote, surpassing the required two-thirds majority. This included a vote by Miguel Ángel Yunes Linares, who stepped in for his son, Miguel Ángel Yunes Márquez, due to health reasons.

Implementation of the reforms means that the first round of elections for federal judges, including Supreme Court justices, will take place next June.

During a live discussion at the Wilson Center in Washington last week, María Amparo Hernández Chong Cuy, a circuit judge in Mexico, shared her concerns about incumbent judges being portrayed negatively despite being offered a spot on the ballot, making their chances of winning slim.

Francisca Pou Giménez, a senior researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), expressed worry over the creation of a Tribunal for Judicial Discipline with extensive powers to investigate, penalize, and impeach judges, potentially compromising their independence.

Giménez believes that the reforms will have a negative impact on the decision-making independence of judges.

Giménez also pointed out that the judicial reforms have taken effect at a time when Sinaloa is experiencing a civil war within the cartel, potentially linked to the corruption of judges by such organizations.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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