Mexican Judicial Reform: Key Points
To be eligible as a candidate for a judicial position, individuals must be Mexican citizens by birth, have no serious criminal convictions, hold a law degree with a minimum grade point average of 8, have at least five years of relevant professional experience, submit a series of essays on pertinent legal topics, and provide five reference letters outlining their qualifications. Candidates cannot have held roles as members of the federal cabinet, attorney general, president, federal deputy, senator, or governor during the year before the election.[3][77]
A special election will be held in 2025 to elect new Supreme Court justices and fill half of all judicial positions. The remaining half would be elected in 2027.[3]
Judicial anonymity
The reforms allow for cases involving organized crime to be heard by "faceless" judges.[78][79] The provision was introduced by the Chamber of Deputies during the bill's committee stage in response to a suggestion floated by López Obrador during his daily press conference some days earlier.[80]
Judicial oversight
The reform proposes replacing the Federal Judiciary Council with the Judicial Disciplinary Tribunal. The tribunal would consist of five members elected by popular vote to serve a single six-year term, with the presidency rotating among the members who receive the highest number of votes. The tribunal would have the authority to sanction, suspend, or remove judges, and its decisions would be non-appealable.[81]
Changes to the Supreme Court
The number of justices on the Supreme Court would be reduced from 11 to 9 and the length of their terms would be reduced from 15 to 12 years.[2] Additionally, the term of the Supreme Court president would be shortened to two years and would rotate among the justices with the highest vote counts.[82]
Salaries
A salary cap would be imposed on all judges, ensuring that no judge's salary exceeds that of the president. Retiring judges would receive three months' salary and 20 days' pay per year of service.[83]
To be eligible as a candidate for a judicial position, individuals must be Mexican citizens by birth, have no serious criminal convictions, hold a law degree with a minimum grade point average of 8, have at least five years of relevant professional experience, submit a series of essays on pertinent legal topics, and provide five reference letters outlining their qualifications. Candidates cannot have held roles as members of the federal cabinet, attorney general, president, federal deputy, senator, or governor during the year before the election.[3][77]
A special election will be held in 2025 to elect new Supreme Court justices and fill half of all judicial positions. The remaining half would be elected in 2027.[3]
Judicial anonymity
The reforms allow for cases involving organized crime to be heard by "faceless" judges.[78][79] The provision was introduced by the Chamber of Deputies during the bill's committee stage in response to a suggestion floated by López Obrador during his daily press conference some days earlier.[80]
Judicial oversight
The reform proposes replacing the Federal Judiciary Council with the Judicial Disciplinary Tribunal. The tribunal would consist of five members elected by popular vote to serve a single six-year term, with the presidency rotating among the members who receive the highest number of votes. The tribunal would have the authority to sanction, suspend, or remove judges, and its decisions would be non-appealable.[81]
Changes to the Supreme Court
The number of justices on the Supreme Court would be reduced from 11 to 9 and the length of their terms would be reduced from 15 to 12 years.[2] Additionally, the term of the Supreme Court president would be shortened to two years and would rotate among the justices with the highest vote counts.[82]
Salaries
A salary cap would be imposed on all judges, ensuring that no judge's salary exceeds that of the president. Retiring judges would receive three months' salary and 20 days' pay per year of service.[83]
Statistics: Posted by tandav — 01 Nov 2024 11:46