Eight justices from Mexico’s Supreme Court have announced their resignation in protest against a controversial judicial reform passed last month, which mandates that judges stand for election.
Supreme Court President Norma Piña, along with seven other justices, submitted their resignation letters on Tuesday and Wednesday, declaring their refusal to participate in the judicial elections scheduled for next June.
Conversely, the remaining three justices have indicated their willingness to compete in the elections. Traditionally, Supreme Court justices were appointed by the Senate.
Last month, Mexico’s Congress approved, and a majority of states ratified then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s initiative to subject all judges in the country to elections.
López Obrador, alongside his allies including his successor Claudia Sheinbaum, argued that this reform would eliminate corruption within the judicial system. Critics, however, warn that it will undermine judicial independence and expose the courts to political pressures.
The resignations occurred just before the lower house of Congress approved another constitutional amendment on Wednesday, designed to protect such reforms from legal challenges. The Supreme Court is set to review a challenge to the judicial overhaul in the coming days.
The amendment passed with 343 votes in favour and 129 against, following prior approval by the Senate.
The business community has expressed concerns that the judicial reform could erode the rule of law. The Mexican Employers’ Association, Coparmex, warned before the vote that the initiative “puts at risk the fundamental guarantees that have protected citizens for decades.”
Throughout his six-year term, López Obrador frequently clashed with the judiciary as it struck down several of his initiatives. He often criticised judges during his daily morning press briefings, a practice continued by Sheinbaum, his protégé.
Sheinbaum remarked on Tuesday that if the Supreme Court justices did not resign before the judicial candidate registration closed in November, they might lose their pensions. “It’s a lot of money,” she said.
Frances Ibiefo
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