Between mariachis and with a backlog of thousands of files, the PJF reopens

César Arellano García

La Jornada Newspaper
Tuesday, November 12, 2024, p. 5

Yesterday there was a huge line of people and litigants outside the offices of the Judicial Branch of the Federation (PJF) in San Lázaro, who took several hours to process or enter protections, since after 85 days of suspension of activities, the last bastion of protest against judicial reform returned to work with thousands of accumulated files.

This building, which was the first to start the strike, on August 19, is one of the most emblematic; Around 4 thousand people work there and 63 courts and tribunals operate in civil, asset forfeiture, commercial and auxiliary matters.

Lawyer Édgar Daniel arrived with 100 files of direct and indirect protections in labor matters. He arrived accompanied by a colleague to move the enormous heavy packages with little devils due to the volume of pages.

It’s quite a bit of work. There are 70 files here, although we are missing another 30. It will take me about three hours to enter them. During the strike in the Judiciary the workload accumulated, since we continued working. I see it very well that they restart activities, because the country cannot be left without laws and justice. Clients were worried about when their protections would be received, since their comprehensive security remained uncertain.

While workers celebrated with mariachis the judges and magistrates who declined to participate in the election process in 2025, outside this headquarters dozens of people remained formed under the strong rays of the sun. Some, desperate, received instructions to enter this jurisdictional body.

In the main courtyard, the judges were honored in the form of a catwalk. On the shore, two guides of cloth bands with colors and the symbol of the Mexican flag were placed on the ground so that those celebrating could walk in the middle of the pavement, however, they ended up trampled due to the tumult of the workers. Meanwhile, the mariachis played The sound of the Black, the king and My way.

On one side of the celebration, at the document reception windows there was also a huge line of lawyers, some arranging the documents with the resources or loading the judicial files in plastic boxes, since due to the suspension of activities of workers of the PJF, thousands of non-urgent cases of citizens who were harmed have been delayed.

I come to leave protection in civil matters from the Boys Heroes courts. There is a lot of work backlog; Several colleagues also come to leave many files. I have few, but there are those who bring large packages. Workload will double more than 100 percent; It’s going to be madness for all the agencies that we come to protect. I think it will stabilize in about three weeks although we are doing wellstated Francisco Rodríguez Valdivia, of the 57th civil court of the Superior Court of Justice of Mexico City.

In this regard, Judge Rebeca Patricia Ortiz, of the eighth collegiate court on labor matters, pointed out that Those of us who dispense justice are the ones who suffer the greatest injustice; We followed the rules of life and it went badly for us, judicial independence and the division of powers ended. We will continue working the same, like the Japanese, double the work when one is on strike. It feels helpless, but we continue working. We leave with our heads held high.

For her part, Patricia Aguayo Bernal, secretary of the tenth collegiate court on labor matters, who called herself a representative of the PJF employees, assured that they are not returning defeated and that they will continue to protest against the judicial reform, since there are still several active protections that can challenge said amendment. We must remain hopeful that this reform can still fail. Let us wait for the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) and the district judges who have them in their power to act in accordance with the law, as has been the case..

He recalled that the majority of judges and magistrates resigned from participating in next year’s election. In an act of courage, congruence and honor, they have refused to participate in this popular voting exercise, which is nothing more than a deception to the people of Mexico. That is the farce to which they are not going to lend themselves..