Judges say the initiative threatens the country’s international pacts

Cesar Arellano Garcia

The newspaper La Jornada
Tuesday, September 3, 2024, p. 4

Chief judges of the federal labor courts, circuit collegiate judges specialized in labor matters, and regional plenary judges on criminal and labor matters in the central-north and central-south regions, as well as the National Association of Circuit Magistrates and District Judges of the Judicial Branch of the Federation (Jufed), once again expressed their disagreement with the judicial reform initiative being discussed in the Chamber of Deputies, in the terms presented by the head of the Federal Executive Branch, since, they stressed, it violates various commitments acquired by the country due to the Free Trade Agreement between Mexico, the United States and Canada (T-MEC).

In a statement they pointed out that it is undeniable that the election of judges by popular vote would not contribute to the rule of law or strengthen the Judicial Branch, and instead would threaten the historic trade relations between Mexico, the United States and Canada.

A weak rule of law can increase the costs and uncertainty in maintaining and enforcing international commitments, and it also jeopardizes national security, as this reform is likely to allow organized crime to break into the judiciary.

They reiterated that the judicial reform initiative presented by the head of the Executive Branch, by attempting to establish the election of judges, magistrates and ministers of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation at the polls, violates and fails to comply with Annex 23 of the T-MEC, insofar as it relates to the commitment to establish and maintain independent courts for the resolution of labor disputes.