Mexico Students Protest Judicial Overhaul Amid Concerns of Politicization and Foreign Backlash

Currently, judges and magistrates in Mexico are appointed by the Federal Judicial Council, while Supreme Court justices are nominated by the president and ratified by the Senate. The proposed reform would change this system, allowing over 7,000 judges and magistrates to be elected directly by the public. The reform also includes reducing the number of Supreme Court justices from 11 to 9 and shortening their terms from 15 to 12 years. Additionally, a new body would be created to oversee judicial conduct.

Supporters of the reform argue that it is necessary to address Mexico’s high levels of impunity for violent crimes. López Obrador has criticized the current judicial system as serving the interests of organized crime rather than the public.

However, opponents, including judicial workers’ unions, argue that the reform would politicize the judiciary, compromise its independence, and potentially allow special interests, including criminal groups, to influence judicial decisions. The unions also express concerns that the reform could infringe upon labor rights.

The proposed changes have led to a strike by judicial workers and have strained relations with the United States and Canada. U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar has warned that the reform could threaten the trade relationship between the two countries by undermining investor confidence in Mexico’s legal framework. Canada’s ambassador has also voiced concerns.

In response to international criticism, the Mexican government has announced a “pause” in relations with the U.S. and Canadian embassies, condemning the ambassadors’ comments as “interventionist.”

Mexican lawmakers are expected to deliberate and vote on the reform proposal in the lower house of parliament on Tuesday and Wednesday. With the ruling Morena party and its allies holding a two-thirds majority in the lower house and being just one seat short in the Senate, the outcome of the vote remains uncertain.