Faceless judges and the 40 hours up for discussion in the Senate
In the Senate there is also a list of reforms that will be discussed in this ordinary period that ends on April 30. There are two reforms that have generated debate due to the proposals made: the initiative to create the figure of faceless judges, as well as the expected one in labor matters to regulate 40 hours.
Alejandro Martínez Serrano, professor of Law at La Salle University, comments that among the most important reforms to be discussed in the Upper House the of faceless judgesso that the identity of judges is reserved when they are in charge of cases of human trafficking, crimes against health, arms trafficking, terrorist financing or organ trafficking.
“(This reform) takes as a reference that many of the times these criminal organizations have corrupted the members of the Judiciary. They are taking back a figure that, a few decades ago, solved some problems in the context of Italy in the fight against the mafia,” explains the expert.
This change is established in the National Code of Criminal Procedures and the Federal Law Against Organized Crime, where it is also mentioned that it will be the Judicial Administration Body, the presidency or the commission corresponding to the Judicial Branch that will will verify the existence of risk according to indications of participation of the defendants, the capacity of the criminal group to cause harm, the seriousness of the crime and associated penalty and whether there are previous threats or attacks
Martínez Serrano mentions that among the doubts that exist about the figure of faceless judges is knowing who will elect them: whether they will be citizens by direct vote or the Judiciary. In addition, he points out that one of the risks of this reform is the possibility of corruption to obtain the names of the people who are under this figure.
“The name is very bombastic: faceless judges, but in an administrative role within the structures of the Judiciary it will be known who they are. It is not a figure isolated from reality. There are episodes where corruption phenomena have occurred, I do not doubt that at some point it could be investigated who these figures are,” says the also internationalist.
The promised 40 hours
In addition to this reform, the Upper House will also discuss the initiative of President Claudia Sheinbaum on labor matters, which proposes reducing the 40 hour work day weekly.
The proposal modifies article 123 of the Constitution so that the working day is 40 hours per week and, for every six days of work, workers must enjoy at least one day of rest with full salary.
However, the 40 hours per week will be achieved gradually, it will not be immediate; That is, in 2026 the day will remain at 48 hours as is currently in the legislation and the decrease will be two hours per year until 2030 when 40 is achieved.
Before the reform is discussed, the Senate plans to set up forums to consult workers and employers about this proposal.
The presidential initiative has caused disagreements, as legislators from MC alerted that the proposal does not increase workers’ rest per week to two days, since the six working days are preserved.
Although there is a list of reforms, the president is about to send three initiatives, and one of them is a new Immigration Law, so the one that currently exists will be repealed.
In addition, a reform of constitutional article 127 is sought to establish new rules on pensions and retirements, as well as the issuance of a General Law on the Rights of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican Peoples and modifications to the Federal Law for the Protection of Industrial Property regarding technological transfer and simplification of the patent and registration protection process.
